Angel's Treasure
by MsAlexisCriss
Summary: Alec and Magnus's paths cross when they have to join forces to rescue Jace. What do a pirate and the son of an aristocrat have in common? Everything. Navigating mysterious waters, uncovering ancient secrets, and chasing maddened pirates, Magnus and Alec will discover that every storm can be weather if you just have the right person by your side.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again, as promised it's Friday and here's a new fic! I'm very excited about this story so I really hope you like it. It's a Pirates!AU story inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean. I think we all have noticed how our lovely TV!Magnus moves a lot like Jack Sparrow so I decided to give it a try and create this fic. However the story won't be following the movies, so have that in mind. I'm just using the world created by Disney to inspire some of the scenes here ;)**

 **I'm using both Magnus and Alec to write this story so I'll switch between POVs with each scene (One Alec, one Magnus and so on). Hope you don't mind. Also, I changed Idris location for the sake of this fic ;)**

 **Anyway, I'm going to post two chapters to start this story so make sure to leave reviews, fav or follow, if you are liking it so far. If this story gets enough attention I'll probably be updating in a couple of days. If not then I'll see you all next Friday ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Alec was in his room just looking out the window. He enjoyed watching the sea and its waves, they helped him think. And although tonight the city was unusually foggy—he could barely see past beyond the forts that surrounded the city—he still stood there, looking out his window in hopes to see the sea and recalling all the events of the last few days.

It had been quite an interesting week for his family. His sister, Isabelle, had gotten engaged to her boyfriend, now fiance, Simon, after years and years of being together. And his brother, Jace, after having turned eighteen, had been appointed Commander of the Guard of the Clave. The two events had been celebrated in a massive way—not that that really surprised Alec—in Alicante, even the smallest of events caused quite a stir. Especially when these involved the most important family in the city.

The Lightwoods were considered almost royalty in Alicante—the most important port city in Idris. Robert Lightwood, Alec's father, was the Inquisitor of the Clave—the company in charge of protecting and regulating all naval and mercantile activities in Idris. That position gave him a say in almost all activities concerning the economy of the different cities, which made him one the most important men in the country. And while Idris was just a small patch of land located somewhere on the coasts between Portugal and Spain, that did not prevent them from being well-known in all Seven Seas. Idris merchants were respected and trusted in all the ports of the world thanks to the Clave and what they had been doing all these years: fighting piracy.

"Pirates…" Alec sighed, rolling his eyes.

They and their illegal activities were the curse and bane of almost all the countries with port cities—and in Alec's very humble opinion—the ones responsible for every tragedy that happened at sea; so in a way he was glad that now Jace, as Commander, was in charge of chasing their filthy necks. He was certain that he could have never done the good job that his brother had been doing in recent days. And not because he was not qualified for the position, in fact, Jace's position was technically Alec's—after all it was his birthright. He was the eldest son of the Inquisitor and, therefore, the first in line to become the new Commander of the Guard—the third most important position in the Clave ranks only after the Consul and the Inquisitor themselves. But when the time came for Alec to make a decision about his future, he, very diplomatically, had rejected the position.

Being the Commander of the Guard was not just about chasing pirates across the seas, it was much more than that. He who became Commander became the face of security and prosperity of the country; it was a show-off job that required a full-time commitment to the cause. And although the idea of spending his days at sea chasing pirates was appealing, the fact that he had to make a show out of it had broken the deal for him. Alec didn't like the attention, he liked to go unnoticed—like sea foam that despite being there, was quickly overshadowed by the beauty of the sea itself. Besides, Alec had other dreams, different aspirations. He wasn't going to spend his life just chasing criminals. He wanted to be a merchant and sail the Seven Seas on his own ship someday.

Alec's first love had been the sea. His father had been a well-respected merchant back in the day and Alec remembered that time very fondly. Every time his father departed to deliver a cargo, Alec spent hours upon hours waiting for him to return home. He used to sit on the edge of the living room window of their old house and watch the sun go down again and again for weeks until the familiar shape of his father's vessel became visible on the horizon. Izzy, who was a few years younger than him, usually sat with him, but she got tired of waiting very fast and always ended up leaving him alone. Alec had never minded the solitude, in fact, he enjoyed it. At that time he had only been a six-year-old boy, but he had already set big aspirations for himself. He had spent the most incredible hours of his childhood picturing himself in one of those British Dreadnoughts that arrived at the ports of the city every day and daydreaming about the day when he could be the one to navigate them.

And even though his father was no longer a merchant and he wasn't a child either, Alec still dreamed of becoming one. In fact, he'd been training to be a naval merchant since he had turned sixteen. It was a hard five-year long training, but Alec knew it was worth it. When he finally turned twenty-one, he could enlist on one of the merchant ships of the city as a Bosun—his last name and training would ensure him a good position—and perhaps, in a couple of years, become captain of his own ship.

"One more year…" Alec whispered. He was still a year away from achieving his dreams. It seemed like a very long time, but in reality it was not. He had been dreaming about it since he was old enough to have real dreams, so one more year wasn't that long.

"Sir." A servant said, entering Alec's room. "We're heading off for the night, is there anything else I can do for you tonight?"

"No, thank you, Raj." Alec said, closing his window. "I think I'll just go to bed. Are my brothers and sister already asleep?"

"Yes, sir. The Commander and Lady Isabelle are already in their rooms. Your little brother, Max, is with your parents."

"Thank you."

The servant just nodded and left the room.

Alec walked to his bed and sat on the edge of it. A single candle was barely illuminating the room, casting some dancing shadows on the walls. For some reason that Alec couldn't understand, the flame seemed to be flickering even though he had already closed the window and there were no drafts. Shrugging, he blew it out and climbed into bed.

Alec was just closing his eyes when a very loud sound made him jump.

 _Boom!_

It had sounded like a cannonball crashing into one of the forts of the city.

 _Boom!_ —another one.

"What the-" He whispered, immediately standing up and running to his window to see what was happening.

The fog that had been covering the city was thicker and now Alec couldn't see anything beyond the courtyard of their mansion, but the city bells were chiming, and that only meant one thing: the city was under attack...under pirate attack.

 _Boom!_

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus had been sleeping very peacefully in his cell when the first cannon exploded and the commotion began. He didn't know what time it was exactly, but judging by the little light that entered his cell, he knew it was already night time—probably around eight or nine if he dared to guess. He had lost track of time in the past few hours. After he had been convicted and sentenced to be hanged for his crimes this morning, he had stopped worrying about time. He didn't want to know how much time he had left in this hellish world. The idea that he only had a few hours left to live was repulsive and downright depressing.

 _Boom!_

"What was that?" The prisoner in the adjoining cell asked.

Magnus didn't know who he was, but the man was in deplorable conditions; he was dirty, thin as a skeleton, and his beard was at least three feet long. Magnus wasn't expecting anything less, after all, the poor man had been locked in that cell for almost ten years. Or at least that was what the man had told him a few days ago when Magnus had been captured.

"I don't know." Magnus shrugged, but the roar of battle was unmistakable. He knew that the city was under attack even before he got up to check.

The cells were heavily protected, so there weren't many windows in them, but fortunately, Magnus's cell had a small, tiny window in the top right side of it. It wasn't wide enough for him to try to escape, but wide enough for him to try to catch a glimpse of what was going on outside.

The fog was very dense tonight and so he couldn't see much, but there, in the midst of cannon explosions and all the chaos of the battle, was the silhouette of a ship. A ship that he thought he'd never see again—the Blue Danube.

"It's the Danube…" He whispered in surprise. After all, it had been years—more than fifteen years to be precise—since the last time he had seen it.

"The Blue Danube?" The prisoner asked in amazement. "I've heard stories about it...people say it's Valentine Morgenstern's ship."

"No, it's not." Magnus immediately said. He was tired of people assuming things they clearly didn't know. The Blue Danube was not Valentine's ship. He had stolen it almost fifteen years ago, but that ship was not rightfully his. In fact, it was Magnus's. Built by Poseidon himself as a gift to Magnus for saving one of his granddaughters; one of the many daughters of his son Triton. Right now, Magnus couldn't quite remember the name of the mermaid, but he had saved her and that had earned him the favors of the God of the Sea himself.

"Yes, it's his ship." The prisoner insisted. "People say that he sails the Seven Seas in it. It's the fastest ship that has ever crossed the seas."

Well, that last part was true. The Danube was, indeed, the fastest ship to have ever crossed the seas, but this ignorant prisoner seemed to have all his other facts wrong. However, Magnus decided not to argue with him. He didn't want to waste his last words in trying to explain to him why the Blue Danube wasn't Valentine's ship. It was a long story that he'd rather not remember.

"If they are attacking the city, they must have found some treasure here." The prisoner continued the conversation. "They know that this city serves as headquarters for the Guard of the Clave. It's a very dangerous move to come here."

Magnus didn't reply, but he was listening carefully to what this man was saying. The prisoner had a point. If the Blue Danube was there, it only meant that something very valuable was hidden in this city. The question was, _what?_ Magnus had heard the stories, the rumors, but... _were they actually true? Had Valentine finally managed to find what he had been looking for all these years...whatever that was?_

"Why are you here?" The prisoner asked.

"Come again?" Magnus asked distractedly.

"Why are you here? You never told me why they imprisoned you."

"Oh," Magnus said, "well, I saved some guy's life."

"You're here because you saved someone's life?"

Magnus nodded. "The irony, right? It happened a week ago. I was minding my own business, when all of a sudden, some smugglers tried to attack this guy. I, of course, having just arrived to the city, tried to do the right thing and save him. I knocked down the first guy and started beating the other guy until, well...the Inquisitor's brat, the new Commander of the Guard, stopped me and put me in here."

"But, why?" The prisoner asked confused. "You saved that poor man's life."

"I did, but I'm a pirate, mate. One good deed doesn't redeem me from a life of crime."

"That's so unfair."

"It is…" Magnus couldn't agree more, "and now that I think about it, the guy I saved wasn't even that good looking. Well, maybe he was...I can't remember clearly, I was a bit under the influence of rum."

Magnus saw the prisoner frowning in confusion, or, _was it disgust?_

"What?" Magnus inquired. "Don't tell me you're going to judge me because I like guys too. Mate, the sea is vast enough to just settle for a single species of fish. I like variety."

"To each their own, I guess." The prisoner said, shrugging.

They were silent for a few minutes just listening to all the chaos that was happening outside. Cannons, gunshots, sword fights—the city was buzzing with the heated battle.

"I'm Hodge, by the way." The prisoner said.

"Magnus Bane."

"Wait a minute, «the» Magnus Bane...Captain Magnus Bane? The famous pirate?" Hodge asked surprised.

"The very same." Magnus said, smiling rather proud of himself. It was always nice to hear that his reputation preceded him.

"You're a big fish, no wonder why the Clave made such a fuss when they captured you. Do you think that's why they're here? Do you think your peeps have come to rescue you?"

"I don't think so." Magnus said, to avoid saying that despite his impending fate, he hoped that wouldn't happen. The last thing he wanted was to face Valentine when he didn't have a plan. Of course he wanted to be rescued and get his ship back, but for that to happen, he needed a good plan...and despite all the free time he had spent locked up in that cell, he still didn't have one.

"But they are pirates, you are a pirate. Aren't you supposed to have each other's backs? Even among pirates there are codes, or are there not?"

Magnus laughed. "I think you need to go out more often, mate." Magnus said. "Yes, there are codes, but not all pirates honor them."

"Do you think the legends about him are true then?"

"About who?"

"Valentine…" Hodge whispered.

"I don't know." Magnus shrugged.

"All this time I thought he was dead, so maybe what they say about the treas-"

"Shhhh." Magnus interrupted him. "Listen."

Hodge went silent and Magnus motioned him to pay attention. It was clear now that the battle was over. Only an eerie silence could be heard—the silence of death and destruction.

"They are retreating." Magnus said, looking out from his small window. "But...why?" He asked, more to himself. The attack had not lasted more than twenty minutes.

"Maybe they found what they were looking for?"

"Maybe…" Magnus said, but the question still remained. _Why had they retreated without completely destroying the city? What had they been looking for?_ Whatever Valentine was after, was way too valuable to risk attacking the city, and that intrigued Magnus. Valentine didn't act without a purpose, so the attack to Alicante hadn't been random. They had come here looking for something they knew was easy to come by, _but what? And why risk so much for it?_

Magnus wasn't sure, but he already had a theory or two about it. After all, he had heard the thousands of legends and rumors over the past few years, and maybe as Hodge had said, there all were true.

o-o-o-o-o

Alec was confused. For some reason that he still couldn't understand, the attack on the city had ended very quickly and the pirates were retreating. The members of the Guard were already celebrating the victory, but Alec wasn't, he didn't understand what had happened. Everything had been so...strange.

After the first cannons had exploded, the entire city had started to fight back. Alec had barely had time to put his mother, his sister and his little brother in a safe place, before being forced to start fighting pirates. They had been everywhere—their mansion, the town, the port. Wherever Alec looked, those filthy pirates were there, killing hundreds of innocent people on their way.

They had fought man to man for some minutes until, out of nowhere, the pirates had started to retreat. They had not given up, they had just withdraw. As if they had just gone looking for something and they already had it in their possession.

The Guard, obviously, had said it was a clear victory from the Clave, they had claimed that the pirates had been too afraid of how powerful they were, but Alec knew that was not the reason. These pirates were not afraid of a couple of soldiers. He had seen it in the way they had killed people of all ages without any mercy. So when the exclamations of victory had started to resonate throughout the city, Alec, instead of going back to the house, had walked toward the port to try to find his brother. He hadn't seen him since the battle had started and he was sure that if there was someone who could help him understand what this attack had meant, that was Jace. After all, Jace was their best warrior and strategist. He seemed to understand pirates like no other.

"Have you seen the Commander?" Alec asked a member of the Guard who was passing by.

"No, sir. The last time I saw him he was on his way to the docks with a group of soldiers. He should be on his way back."

"Thank you." He said.

Alec walked and walked until he reached the docks; neither his brother nor the group of soldiers were there. Around the docks, all that seemed to be left was death and destruction. Bodies of pirates and soldiers alike were floating motionless in the water. The surviving pirates were boarding their longboats and sailing away. The fog was very dense and Alec was still far from them, so he couldn't even see where they were going or where their ship was.

"Damn it!" He cursed in silence, walking a little faster to get a closer view of the bay.

When he reached the first dock, Alec stopped dead in his tracks. The pirates were taking a man hostage. Alec couldn't see who he was, but the man was fighting back. He had a black sack on his head and seemed to be trying to break free from the ropes that tied his hands behind his back.

Alec ran to try to stop them, but they were already sailing away. Desperate, he quickened his steps and just as he was reaching the edge of the last dock, he saw who the hostage was. That lock of golden hair was unmistakable...it was his brother's. The pirates were taking Jace.

"Help! Help!" Alec cried out desperately, but there was no one left on the docks. The entire Guard was already back in the city, no doubt counting the dead and trying to put some order among the inhabitants. There was no one there to help him.

"Jace!" He exclaimed in despair; the longboat was getting away.

 _"Alec!"_

Alec heard his brother calling his name back, so without thinking twice, he threw himself into the cold water. It was like hitting the asphalt face down, the water was so cold it knocked the air out of his lungs, but he didn't care. He had to save his brother, so he took a few ragged breaths to try to fill his lungs again and started swimming.

It was only when he was making his way across the sea that he was able to see the ship to where the pirates were taking his brother. It was a black ship with blue sails, like the one all those legends described as the fastest ship in all the seas—the Blue Danube.

 _It can't be._ He thought.

The Blue Danube was Valentine's ship and Valentine was dead. Fifteen years ago, when the war against him had ended, the Clave had glorified themselves by saying that Valentine Morgenstern had sunk along with his ship somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Of course, after a few years, rumors of a black ship with blue sails had begun to spread like wildfire among the sailors, but Alec had thought they were just that...rumors. He, never in a million years, had imagined that they could be true, but apparently they were. He was not imagining things, before him was the Blue Danube—Valentine Morgenstern's ship. And if the Blue Danube was still sailing, that only meant that Valentine, despite the Clave's beliefs, was still alive.

Alec quickened his strokes. The water was ice-cold, but he was a very good swimmer. "I'm coming, Jace." He said, but it didn't matter how much he tried, the longboats were faster than him.

When he looked up a second time after a few minutes of swimming without stopping, the longboats had completely disappeared from view and the Blue Danube was already sailing toward the horizon, disappearing into the darkness of the night and taking Jace with it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Alec stormed into his father's office. He was all wet and his breathing was still ragged from running, but he didn't care. He had run all the way from the docks to see his father and notify him of what had happened. The pirates had taken his brother and they had to act quickly. Alec knew that every second that passed was a second in which his brother's life was in danger.

"They took him, father!" He exclaimed. "The pirates took Jace!"

Robert looked up from the map he was analyzing. Alec knew that the Clave was already organizing some sort of counterattack expedition. They were going to hunt down whoever had attacked the city—that was how the Clave worked.

"What are you talking about? And, why are you all wet? Didn't I specifically ask you to fight just inside the mansion to protect your family? What were you doing? Taking a night swim?" Robert asked.

Alec tried hard not to roll his eyes. "I saw them, father. The pirates took Jace as a hostage. Valentine has Jace."

"Valentine Morgenstern is dead, Alec." His father said. Alec noticed how his father's face changed just with the mention of Valentine's name.

"No, he's not. I saw his ship, father."

"You saw his ship?" Robert asked doubtfully.

"Yes, tonight's attack was Valentine's work. I'm sure of it." Alec said, but his father didn't seem to believe him, or be interested in what he was saying for that matter. He was already refocusing his attention on the map spread out on his desk.

"Alec, I think you're confused."

"I'm not!" Alec exclaimed, losing his patience. He had been expecting his father to go all ballistic when he heard the news that the pirates, that Valentine's men of all people, had kidnapped his son. "I'm telling you! Those pirates took Jace!"

"How are you so sure?"

"Because I saw them! I already told you that. Aren't you listening to me?"

"Those pirates didn't take anybody." Robert said. "I'm sure you're just confused. As I already said, Valentine Morgenstern is dead, and Jace is probably just gathering the remaining members of the Guard. It's his job after all. We had a lot of casualties tonight."

"For heaven's sake, father! I'm not confused! I saw them! Why don't you want to believe me? They have Jace! We must do something! I don't know...alert the Guard, send some vessels, offer some rescue...gold, jewels."

"Alec, enough!" Robert snapped. "Go get some rest. I think the battle has worn you out. I will tell Jace to go to your room to see you as soon as he gets back.

Alec shouted in exasperation. He couldn't believe his own ears. His father was being either naive or stupid. Valentine had Jace and when he realized that Alec hadn't lied, it might be a little too late for his brother.

"Alec…" Robert said, pointing to the door.

"You're going to regret this." Alec stated, rolling his eyes, and just as he had entered, he stormed out of his useless-father's office, making sure to slam the door on his way out as a way to emphasize his anger.

"Is it true?" A voice asked.

"Jesus, Iz! You scared me!" Alec said. Apparently his sister had been eavesdropping the whole conversation because she had a look of concern on her face.

"Tell me, Alec, is it true?" She asked again. "Did you really see those pirates taking Jace?"

Alec nodded and Izzy covered her mouth with her hands as if to stifle a cry of anguish.

"What are you doing here, anyway? I asked you all to stay hidden until I personally let you out.

"You know mother, she grew impatient, but we're all fine. Max's sleeping in my room and mom went to hers to rest too. But tell me, was it really Valentine? Does that mean all the legends are true?"

"I don't know about the legends," Alec admitted, "but I know what I saw, Iz. It was a black ship with blue sails, it was the Blue Danube. It was Valentine. I'm sure of that."

"And, what are we going to do?"

"We?" Alec questioned. "No, Iz. There's no we in this situation. You are going to stay here to take care of Max and our mother."

"And you?" Izzy asked.

"I'm going to find our brother and bring him back." Alec said determined. He wasn't going to let a bunch of pirates to murder his brother for no reason.

"But how?"

"I'm going to ask for some help."

"Help...from whom? Father doesn't believe you and-"

"Don't worry about that, okay?" Alec interrupted her. "I already have a plan. You just stay safe, okay? Take care of Max and our mother, ask Simon to stay here in the house if you must. I'll be fine."

"Where are you going?"

"I already told you, to get Jace back."

Izzy immediately hugged him. "Please be careful."

"I will." Alec said, hugging her back. "And, Iz? If father asks about me, just tell him that I'm doing what he was supposed to be doing."

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus was in his cell just waiting for the guards to come back for him. About an hour ago, as soon as the sun had started to peek over the horizon, they had taken Hodge to some other cell. To relocate him, they had said, but Magnus was almost certain that his relocation would be six feet underground. He had heard the other guard saying that the prisoner was about to complete his sentence, and Magnus knew what that really meant: death. It was the punishment that most people lucked up there had to meet sooner or later.

He was sitting against the wall with his hat over his eyes, trying not to think too much about his impending fate, when he heard some footsteps echoing in the hallway.

"I would like to have one last decent meal before you kill me. I want a steak, medium rare—and rum. A bottle of rum." He said, without taking his hat from his eyes.

"I'm not here to kill you." A voice said.

Magnus immediately uncovered his eyes. The person standing there was not the one he had been expecting at all. "Well, well, well...look who's finally paying me a visit. Do you like what I got for saving your sorry ass?" He asked.

"I tried to help…" the man said, "I'm sorry you're here."

The guy looked uncomfortable and genuinely sorry, that much Magnus could give him, but the fact still remained—he was trapped in there because of him.

"Well, I'm not forgiving you anytime soon. To what do I owe this pleasure? Are you here to thank me? Or, are you here to see my execution?"

The man immediately shook his head. "No, I'm...I-I...I need your help."

That certainly took Magnus by surprise. "I don't see how I can be of any help, since I'm behind these bars and you're free, but by all means, tell me. What can I do for you? I can't promise anything, but I'll do what I can."

"Is Valentine Morgenstern alive?" The man asked. "You are a pirate, you must know. Is he still alive?"

Magnus stared at him. "Why do you want to know if he's alive?"

"The attack last night was his doing, I saw his ship."

"My ship." Magnus said absentmindedly.

"What?"

"Nothing...you say you saw the Blue Danube?"

"Yes, I saw it. It was a black ship with blue sails. Tell me...is he alive or not?"

Magnus had the right answer to that question, but he didn't want to say it out loud yet. First he wanted to know why this boy was so interested in Valentine. "I don't know, I mean, if you saw his ship, that's a huge possibility, but who knows."

"Please." The man begged. "You have to help me."

"Why?" Magnus asked intrigued.

"Because he took my brother!"

Magnus stared at the boy again. He was really desperate for help and the fact that Valentine had taken someone hostage was unusual, unusual enough to pique Magnus's interest.

"Tell me, was your brother in some sort of alliance with pirates?" Magnus asked.

"What? Of course not!" The man said it as if that statement had been offensive. "He is a respected man, Commander of the Guard and-"

"Wait a minute." Magnus interrupted him. "The Commander of the Guard? Are you telling me that the filthy brat who put me in here after I saved your life is your brother? The Inquisitor's son?"

The man nodded.

"Are you Robert Lightwood's son too?" Magnus asked quite surprised. He hadn't seen that one coming.

"Alec Lightwood." The man said.

"But, how?" Magnus questioned. "You two look nothing alike." The Commander had blond hair, while this Alec guy had dark hair and the most beautiful pair of eyes that Magnus had even seen.

"He's my adoptive brother." Alec explained. "My family took him in when his father died."

Magnus analyzed that new information for a moment. If Valentine had attacked the city to kidnap a boy, then that only meant that Magnus's theory was right and that the old pirate had finally figured out a way to break the curse that had been threatening his life for years, but he had been stupid enough to kidnap the wrong son. Magnus was sure that Valentine had mistaken the new Commander as Robert's son too. It was well-known in the pirate world that the Inquisitor had had two sons, but the second one was only a kid, so the existence of a third Lightwood was something that Magnus was almost certain Valentine hadn't put into the equation.

"So, you're the eldest one?" Magnus asked, just to be sure. He was putting all the pieces together in his head.

Alec nodded.

"Why aren't you the Commander then?"

"I turned down the position." Alec said, without explaining any further.

Magnus took a couple of seconds to think. There was a plan already taking shape in the back of his mind. If he somehow managed to get out of prison and get his hands on that text he once had read about the Angel, then-

"Do you know where I can find him?"

That question snapped Magnus out of his thoughts.

"Come again?"

"Valentine." Alec said. "Do you know where I can find him?"

"Look, Alexander…"

"Why are you calling me like that?"

"Didn't you say that was your name?" Magnus asked confused.

"I said Alec, not-"

"Isn't Alec short for Alexander?"

Alec nodded.

"Then, as I was saying, Alexander...don't you think that if anyone knew where to find Valentine, the Clave would have already found him?" Magnus asked. "He's the most wanted pirate in all Seven Seas."

Alec seemed kind of surprised with that statement. "But there must be rumors, right? Like those of him being alive. Other pirates...people like you must have heard them."

Magnus nodded. Of course there were rumors and Magnus was sure that most of them were true.

"Do you know where to find him?" Alec insisted. The boy was quite persistent and Magnus liked that.

"Maybe...I don't know. I can't remember." He said, but it wasn't true. Of course he knew where to find him. He had been chasing that bastard since he had stolen his ship all those years ago. For too long, Magnus had been unable to do anything against him. Valentine was an intelligent man and seemed to be ahead of everyone. Now, however, the winds seemed to be changing.

"I can get you out of here." Alec said.

"What?" Magnus asked quite surprised.

"If you help me find Valentine and save my brother, I can give you your freedom."

Magnus pretended to ponder the idea for a minute. He already had the answer, of course he was going to agree to this guy's plan. He finally had something that Valentine didn't have, and maybe if he played his cards well, he could not only get his ship back, but get to keep that valuable treasure as well. It was risky, but it could work. Besides, anything was better than dying.

"Are you willing to release a pirate just to save your brother?"

Alec nodded with determination.

"And, how are you planning on doing that? It's not like the guards go around leaving spare keys so that you can release the prisoners."

"Never underestimate me." Alec said with a smile. Magnus noticed that he was holding a set of keys. "I sneaked into my father's office and got these. So, what do you say...do we have a deal?" He said, extending his hand toward Magnus.

Magnus looked up at him. This boy was actually more handsome than he remembered and apparently pretty smart too. "We'll need a ship."

"I already have a plan for that."

Magnus smiled.

"So?" Alec asked again.

Magnus took Alec's hand. "We have a deal." He said, trying to put aside the strange feeling that the simple handshake between them had caused him. "Now, get me out of here, pretty boy!"

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus and Alec somehow managed to reach the port safe and sound. The guards had noticed Magnus's absence a couple of minutes after they had escaped and had sent groups of men to look for him throughout the city. They were heavily armed, so reaching the docks had been quite the adventure. They had barely made it out alive.

"Stop smiling like a fool, we almost died there." Magnus said, but Alec couldn't help himself. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins and it was intoxicating.

"We're alive and that's what counts."

"If you say so...now, would you mind telling me, how do you expect us to escape from the city? I'm afraid that daddy Lightwood won't be very happy to hear that his son helped a pirate escape from prison. Those guards saw you."

"I don't care what my father thinks." Alec said. He still was a bit resentful because of their last encounter. "And I know the guards saw me, but don't worry, they won't be a problem for much longer." He said, looking at the bay.

Alec hadn't shared his plan with the pirate yet, but he was certain that it was going to work. He had thought about it even before heading down to the dungeons to ask for his help. He knew that the Clave was going to send a couple of ships to try to capture the pirates who had attacked the city, so his plan was to get one of those ships. _How?_ He wasn't quite sure yet, he was still working on that, but he would find a way...he knew it.

"So?" Magnus inquired.

"We're going to get a ship." Alec said simply.

"That much I figured out myself, or else, why would we be here? The question is, how? Are you going to ask your daddy to lend us one from his fleet?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "Of course not, you're a pirate, right? We're going to do what pirates do, we are going to steal one."

Magnus smiled. "I like the sound of that."

"I knew you'd like it. Now, for the stealing part, I'm kind of going to need your help. I don't know how to do it. I've never stolen anything in my life before and-"

"You stole your father's keys."

"I didn't steal them, I just took them without him noticing, but I'm planning on returning them someday, so technically it's not stealing." Alec said. That was what he had been telling himself since he had done it.

"And the ship?" Magnus asked. Alec could tell that he was trying not to laugh. "Are you planning on returning it too?"

Alec thought about it for some seconds. "A part of me would want that, but no. I'm well aware that I'm going on this rescue mission with a pirate and I promised you your freedom, so if we manage to come back alive, the ship will be yours. After all, you're a captain, aren't you? And what's a captain without a ship?"

Magnus just smiled at that.

"Now, how would you steal that ship?" Alec asked.

"Which one?" Magnus asked, now focusing his attention on the set of ships anchored at the docks.

"That one." Alec pointed to the largest ship anchored in the main dock. It was the fastest ship the Clave had under their possession. He knew it was no match for the Blue Danube, but it was the best they could get. "That's our fastest ship...the Avenger."

"Well, that's an appropriate name." Magnus said.

Alec frowned—to say that he found this man cryptic was an understatement.

"I mean that I like it, Alexander. Now, before we try to steal one of your daddy's boats, I mean, ships, I have to ask you something, are you sure you want to do this? There's no turning back after this. You're going to officially be a fugitive. Not only did you help a man out of prison, but you're about to steal a ship with the same man and escape with him...is this what you really want?"

Alec didn't hesitate and nodded. He knew that if he thought too much about it, he would regret it eventually. He had to think of his brother and only him. He knew that Jace would have done the same for Alec if the roles had been inverted.

"Okay, then." Magnus said. "This is what we're going to do." He said, sharing his plan with Alec.

It was quite simple. They were going to hide near the cargo section, wait for the right moment and then take control of the ship. The crew was not there yet, it was clear that they were just loading the ship with provisions and getting it ready for a long trip. So if things went wrong, they would only have to kill a couple of soldiers—no more than five—and for some reason that was a relief for Alec. He didn't want to become someone he was not.

"You do know how to shoot, right?" Magnus asked, handing Alec one of his pistols.

"Yes, I don't like it that much, but I know how to do it."

"Don't worry, I don't like guns either, but we have to be prepared, if things go wrong, we-"

"Everything is going to be fine." Alec said, trying to convince himself too. "It has to be."

"Alright, then let's do it." Magnus said, walking towards the ship already.

"Magnus, wait!" Alec whispered.

"What!?"

"Thank you." Alec said simply. He knew that maybe this wasn't the right time, but he wanted to say it anyway.

Magnus rolled his eyes in a very dramatic way. "Thank me when we have successfully stolen the ship, sweetheart. Now move, we have to be quick, I don't want us to die so soon. That would be a shame."

"Why?" Alec couldn't help asking.

"Why? Because look at us, we're the perfect duo, Alexander. We make a very decent pirate team."

"I'm not a-"

"I know, darling, but you're about to become one." Magnus said, winking at him and heading for the ship.

"No, I'm not." Alec muttered to himself, but he didn't sound convinced even to his own ears.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello people, here's a new chapter. I really hope you like it and that it makes sense. I'm explaining some important stuff, so I hope it has come across the right way. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

As Magnus had already predicted, he and Alec made a very decent pirate team. It had turned out that stealing the Avenger hadn't been so hard after all. Yeah, the guards had seen them, but by the time they had realized that the ship was sailing away from the docks, Magnus and Alec were already quite far from them, and there was no way to stop them not even with the long nines. Alec had devised a brilliant plan for that.

Even before taking the ship, when they had reached the docks, Magnus had pointed out that the other two ships that the Clave was preparing for their mission could represent a problem, especially if they tried to sink them into the ocean with the long guns instead of chasing them. But Alec had immediately told Magnus not to worry, sneaking into the first ship and coming out a few minutes later wearing a huge smile.

When Magnus had questioned him about it, the young man had just said, _"I disabled the rudder chain. Let them try to move the ship an inch."_ Alec had said it as if it had been nothing, but in Magnus's opinion that move had been absolutely brilliant. He knew that repairing the chains would take the Clave at least a day, and by the time they were ready again, they would be long gone. The other two ships had been left useless thanks to Alec's brilliant mind.

There was no doubt that Alec was smarter than he gave himself credit for. Magnus had noticed how the boy modestly tried to diminish his brilliance and knowledge in all nautical terms just to avoid being the center of attention. But no matter how hard he tried, Alec had already caught Magnus's attention. The boy was a box full of surprises.

At first, Magnus had thought that he would have to spend at least their first day at sea explaining the young man every handy thing regarding the handling of a ship so that they had a better chance of surviving if someone attacked them. But he had been completely mistaken—the young man already knew a lot of things. In fact, there were things, more technical things about shipbuilding and such, that Magnus himself didn't even know.

"You were training to be a naval merchant, weren't you?" Magnus asked, because it was pretty obvious. They had only been sailing for two hours and yet Magnus had already seen Alec give a full-display of professionalism and expertise in all matters related to the management and even the captaincy of a ship.

"Yeah, I want to be one as my father was." Alec said, and Magnus couldn't stop the snort that escaped his mouth after hearing that tremendous nonsense. _Robert Lightwood, a naval merchant? In what parallel universe?_

"What's so funny?" Alec asked a bit offended.

"Oh, nothing, Alexander." Magnus added quickly. He hadn't meant to make fun of Alec's dreams. He had only found the situation a bit ironic. "You were saying you want to be a naval merchant like Robert Lightwood?"

Alec frowned. "You know my father."

"Everybody knows him, he's the Inquisitor of the Clave."

"No, not like that." Alec said, moving closer to where Magnus was. Up until now, the boy had been securing the sails and making sure that there were no loose ropes around the deck. "I mean that you know him personally, not as the Inquisitor."

"What makes you think that?" Magnus asked, busying himself with the helm. They didn't have to change direction, they were still trying to mislead the Clave, but even so, he was pretending to keep the ship steady and ongoing. For a pirate, Magnus wasn't very good at lying. His best friends said it was his greatest weakness, well, that and his penchant for rum.

"For starters," Alec said, "this is the second time you refer to him as Robert Lightwood and not as the Inquisitor as everyone else does, and second, before you agreed to help me, you were very surprised to learn that I was a Lightwood too. I'm not stupid, I know you know my father."

Magnus sighed, the boy was pretty smart. "Okay, I met him a long time ago, we didn't have the most cordial of the relationships since he and his captain had been trying to steal my boat. In the end they got it, though, but never mind...I always thought he was a good pirate."

"Pirate?" Alec asked confused. "My father was not a pirate. He was a respected naval merchant who had to give up his life at sea because pirates like you made it impossible for him to deliver his cargoes."

Magnus rolled his eyes. He had tried to spare Alec the shock and probably the pain of knowing this part of the story. It was clear that the boy didn't even know who his father was, but he had left him with no choice.

"Your father was a pirate and for years he sailed under the Morgenstern's flag. Happy now? The _oh-so_ respected Inquisitor of the Clave was a filthy pirate."

"You're lying!" Alec exclaimed, unsheathing his sword. "Take back your words or fight me." He added, pointing his sword at Magnus.

"Do you really think it's smart to cross swords with a pirate, Alexander?" Magnus asked. The boy knew how to hold them, that much Magnus could give him, but that didn't mean he actually knew how to use them. "I don't think you're a match for-"

Alec put his sword against Magnus's throat. "Try me."

Magnus smiled. Every second that passed, he liked this boy a lot more. He had bravado, something that very, very few men had. "Fine, fine...I'll take a leap of faith and believe that you're a worthy swordsman. And although I should probably lie to prevent you from slicing my throat, I won't do it. I am an honorable pirate, so no, Alexander, I won't take back my words. Your father was, is and will always be a pirate."

"You're lying!" Alec exclaimed.

Magnus could feel the blade already leaving a mark on his neck. He knew he could easily move and disarm Alec, but he didn't want to. The boy had to learn the truth, he was old enough to know it.

"No, I'm not lying. You can ask whoever you want. Robert Lightwood was a pirate, in fact, he held a very important position among Valentine's crew."

"You're ly-"

"No, I'm not. How many times do I have to tell you the same thing? You can fool yourself all you want, but the truth is the truth. Now," Magnus said, trying to move an inch, but finding it impossible. Alec was quick in his movements. "Alexander...Alec...listen, why don't you calm down and we have this discussion in a more civilized manner? I can share with you everything—the whole story. Like I said, I met your father almost fifteen years ago when he-"

"Wait, what?" Alec asked deeply confused. "You met my father 15 years ago? How's that possible? How old were you when you met him, ten?"

Magnus tried not to laugh. He knew he didn't look older than twenty-five, but appearances could be deceiving, he was older than that; at least biologically, because physically he was the same he'd been for way too long. "The same age I have now...twenty-four." He answered truthfully.

"That's not possible…" Alec whispered more to himself.

"Alexander…haven't you heard the stories about me? I'm Captain Magnus Bane, discoverer of the Fountain of Youth."

"The-"

"Yes, the Fountain of Youth. I found it a very long time ago." Magnus confessed. He had always been very proud of that discovery.

"So that means you?"

"Never age? Yes, as long as I drink from it, I'm immortal." Magnus said.

"How long have you been hmmm...drinking from it?" Alec asked.

"That's quite intimate, don't you think? And it's not a question I'm willing to answer when you have your sword against my throat. I could probably agree to answer it if you had your hmmm, other sword instead, but given our current situation I think that's not possible...is it?"

Alec frowned and Magnus didn't know if it was because he hadn't understood the sexual innuendo that Magnus had so blatantly thrown in his direction or because he was considering the idea. Magnus was hoping it was the latter. After all, it had been a while since he had had any kind of intimate interaction with someone.

"If I lower my sword, do you promise to tell me everything?" Alec asked.

"Yes, Alexander." Magnus lied. He was going to tell Alec just a part of the story, he better than anyone knew that it was better if Alec never learned certain things—at least not until the right moment.

"Fine." Alec said, finally lowering his sword. "Now tell me everything, and don't you dare to lie. I can still slice your throat, immortal or not."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec couldn't believe that the man he had in front of him was real. Magnus Bane had not only turned out to be one of the most famous pirates of all Seven Seas, he also knew Alec's own pirate father and to top it off, he was immortal. Alec still couldn't wrap his head around that last concept, though. To say that it sounded ripped out from one of those fantasy books that his little brother loved so much was an understatement.

They were still standing at the quarterdeck, Magnus manipulating the helm, and Alec listening to every word this man was sharing. He was desperate to know the truth.

"Back when nobody controlled the seas, pirates and merchants alike could sail the waters in some sort of peace." Magnus began his story. "There was a pact of camaraderie between us. We stole from them, they tried to kill us, but it was nothing fancy, the sea was for everyone." He said. "Legends of extraordinary treasures were heard everywhere and almost all pirates were after them. Captain Morgenstern, Valentine's father, was one of the most respected pirates of that time."

"I thought you were going to share with me the truth about my father."

"I'll get to it, just be patient." Magnus said, quickly resuming his story. "Like any other respected pirate, Captain Morgenstern was well-known for finding the most valuable treasures and possessing the most courageous and fearless crew. The man was an icon—everyone wanted to sail under his flag. Getting into his crew, however, was not an easy task. You had to be tested, proven to be worthy of such honor."

"Why?"

Magnus shrugged. "Maybe he was picky, but people said it was because he was after a very dangerous and peculiar treasure. A treasure with such value that whoever possessed it would be able to control and change the world at will."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Did he ever find it?" Alec asked, now intrigued.

"No, he died before even knowing where it was."

"He died?"

Magnus nodded. "His own son took care of that." He said. "Treasures can drive you mad, Alexander, and that's what happened to Valentine. His obsession with the treasure his father was after grew out of proportion, to such an extent that he was able to betray his own blood."

"How?" Alec asked intrigued.

"He was Captain's Morgenstern First Mate—the Quartermaster. As you well know, that's the second best job on any pirate ship, or any merchant ship for that matter. The First Mate has many responsibilities; he's in charge of punishments and discipline, but most importantly, he represents the other pirates. He's the one to take their issues to the attention of the captain, so naturally the entire crew—your father included—respected him."

"My father was part of Captain's Morgenstern crew?"

"Aye, he was one of the swabbies—a nobody. His only job was to mop the decks every day, but that's exactly why Valentine recruited him. Valentine knew swabs were the lowest in rank on any pirate ship, and therefore, the most loyal servants." Magnus said. "Anyway, when Captain Morgenstern could not find the treasure, he gave up and decided to forget about it. Obviously, Valentine went crazy after that. He wanted that treasure more than he had wanted anything in this world, so the night his father decided to stop chasing it...there was a mutiny."

"Is this treasure really that important?"

"It is, but that's a story for another day." Magnus said evasively. "That night Captain Morgenstern was marooned on an island and left there to die."

"I thought Valentine had killed him."

"No, Valentine has always been a coward. He just left him there with a pistol."

Alec frowned. "A pistol?"

"Yes. When a pirate is marooned, Alexander, he's given a pistol with a single shot as an act of mercy. The shot is not good enough for hunting, or surviving, but after days and days of starvation and thirst, it's the only way you have to take your own life."

Alec gasped. That was barbaric, even for pirates.

"Anyway, after that Valentine became unstoppable. He took over his father's ship and began his wave of death and destruction. Sailing became the most dangerous job in the world and that was when the Clave decided to intervene. They made alliances with all the port cities in the world and vowed to protect the seas. But they underestimated Valentine, and eventually, after several attempts to stop him, they failed. For years Valentine did whatever he wanted. He came and went at will still looking for the treasure...until he found it."

"He found it?"

"Yes, he did. He's a smart man, so it was only a matter of time before it happened. He found the treasure almost twenty-one years ago, but with it, he also found his destruction."

"The legends are true, then." Alec pointed out. He had heard them, like almost every inhabitant in Alicante. Valentine had found the treasure of all treasures and after controlling the sea for years, the sea had taken him.

"They are. The treasure was protected, Alexander. Protected by things beyond our beliefs, so when Valentine and his crew took it, the Angel of Secrets himself descended from heaven and sent a curse upon them."

"The Angel of Secrets?"

"Don't ask me, okay? Like I said, the story about the treasure is for another day." Magnus said. "Valentine and his crew ignored the Angel's curse thinking it wasn't true, and using the power that the treasure had given them, they started to take control of the seas. However, their power was limited. The Angel had told them it would not work properly for them, but they didn't care. For years they thought they had control of everything...until they realized they didn't. Now imagine Valentine's surprise when he found out that what the Angel had told them was true. His mental state just reached another level of craziness, and that was when the war against him began. Nobody knows what the curse is about, but rumor has it that it involves losing everything you've ever loved."

"Wait a minute...my father was part of the crew, does that mean that he's cursed too?"

"Yes, but wait. There's more." Magnus said. "Valentine had just met his wife, Jocelyn, when that happened, so when he realized that the Angel hadn't lied, he feared losing her, so he did everything in his power to break the curse."

"Did he succeed?"

"No." Magnus said. "For years he sailed the Seven Seas leaving destruction in his wake, but he just couldn't find a way to break it. Then, one day, a certain Sea Witch informed him that there was someone who knew how to break it. The only problem was that for Valentine to get such information, he had to meet with this person in the underworld."

"So he did it." Alec assumed.

"He couldn't." Magnus said. "Traveling to the underworld is not easy, Alexander. It requires certain sacrifices and a ship—the fastest ship in the world."

"The Blue Danube."

Magnus nodded. "Valentine, with some help from the same Sea Witch, made a pact with...someone from the underworld, and that's how he finally got hold of the Danube."

"Then, if he had the ship, why didn't he make the trip to the underworld?" Alec asked.

"Because of the curse." Magnus explained. "I already told you, no one knows how it works, but losing everything you've ever loved includes losing yourself too, Alexander. Valentine has loved only three people in this world, his mother, who died when he was a kid, Jocelyn, and himself. The curse took him to the edge of madness, and to travel to the underworld you have to be sane or else you won't be able to cross."

"So, he couldn't?"

"He tried, but failed. It was then that his crew betrayed him. They couldn't just make a new mutiny because Valentine, despite his mental state, was still powerful, but they abandoned him. The Clave was breathing down their necks so many just surrendered. They were offering them protection for them and their families in exchange for information about Valentine's whereabouts. Some of them, those with more valuable information, got pretty good deals, they were offered important positions among the Clave's ranks and privileges."

"My father…" Alec whispered. He was finally putting two and two together.

"Yes, he was Valentine's First Mate, Alec. Therefore he got the biggest slice of the cake."

Alec took a deep breath. All this information was too much for him, but he had to keep asking. He still had thousands of questions in his mind. "The curse...why is my father immune to it? He hasn't lost what he loves or has gone mad for that matter."

"Hasn't he? How are you so sure? You two don't seem to have a very close relationship since you didn't even know who he was and all. Besides, if I recall correctly, in the past twenty four hours he has lost two of his sons." Magnus pointed out.

Alec went silent. He didn't want to think too much about it. Magnus was partly right, he and his father didn't have a great relationship, Robert had, indeed, lost two of his children, and not only that, but also his job at sea. If there was something that Alec knew his father had missed all these years was that, navigating the sea.

"Jace's kidnapping…" Alec continued, "does it have something to do with this curse?"

"Maybe…"

"Don't lie!" Alec warned him, grabbing the hilt of his sword.

"I'm not lying, I don't know for sure, Alexander."

"But you have a theory." Alec guessed. He was finding Magnus quite easy to read.

"I have."

"You have to tell me, Magnus." Alec said, using for the first time the pirate's name. All this time he had been trying to avoid it. _Why?_ He didn't know.

"And why is that?"

"Because we're in this together. We're going after Valentine, don't you think that I, at least, deserve to know what I'm going to face? I know that coming after him was my idea and I'm not afraid of him, but I need to know. Please."

"Fine." Magnus said, rolling his eyes. "I don't know how, but my guess is that Valentine finally learned how to break the curse. He knew where your father was, in fact, he knows where every member of the crew who betrayed him is, but he never tried anything against them...until now, of course. He's smart, Alec. All these years he was only feeding the legends while waiting for the right moment to attack. He must know how to do it, if not, why else would he kidnap his First Mate's son? If he wanted revenge he would have just killed you all last night."

"So, you think he's going to use Jace for whatever thing he thinks will break the curse?"

Magnus nodded, and Alec swallowed slowly. "Then we have to find him!"

"We will, Alexander. Don't worry, we will."

"You promise?"

Magnus waited a couple of seconds to respond, but to Alec's relief, he said, "Yes, I promise."

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus was watching Alec. Since their conversation about Valentine had finished, the boy had been very quiet. Magnus knew he was trying to process all the information, but it still made him uneasy seeing him like that. There was sadness and disappointment in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Magnus asked, approaching him. Alec was on the main deck just looking at the sea, clearly lost in his own thoughts.

"Yeah, it's just that...it's as if my whole life had been a lie, Magnus. I'm confused. I don't know what to say or think. I'm just trying to take it all in...it was too much." Alec said. "But thank you for telling me." He added with a gentle smile.

"You're welcome." Magnus said.

He didn't know what else to say. He liked Alec, and it had nothing to do with a romantic or physical attraction. Yeah, the boy was handsome and all, but this was something else. Alec was pure and honest; his emotions, though he tried to hide them, could be seen in his eyes. Alec was caring, kind, noble, brave...a good man. Yes, he was reserved, but Magnus thought of him as a map. A map that if you knew how to read, could take you to the most amazing places in the world.

"What made you become a pirate?" Alec asked out of nowhere.

Magnus was taken aback a bit by the question. No one had ever asked him that. It was a tough question, but only because he hadn't had to answer it to anyone before. "This." He said, pointing to the sea. "I fell in love with this. I know I chose the less honorable path to be with my one true love, but I don't regret it. I like my life, I like being a pirate."

"Why?"

"Because being a pirate gave me what I had been looking for my whole life: freedom." Magnus answered truthfully.

Alec sighed. "I guess we share the same love, then." He said with a smile. "Ever since I was a little boy I always dreamed of sailing far away and never look back. The sea has always had this certain appeal to me...it's as if when I'm here," Alec pointed to the nothingness; they were still in the middle of nowhere, "I am...complete."

Magnus smiled because he better than anyone understood that feeling. "I feel that too, Alexander."

Alec smiled a big smile and Magnus wanted to run or disappear as if by magic. This boy, whom he had been planning to use only to retrieve his ship back, was making him feel things he had never felt before. And what was worse, he was making him question his own less-than-honorable intentions.

"I'm-I'm going to change the course again." Magnus said. "I think we have misled the Clave enough."

"Where are we heading? Are we going to surprise Valentine? I know you know where he is. Is that your plan? You want us to take him by surprise?"

Magnus shook his head. "I know where he hides, yes, but I don't think he's there. If my guesses are correct, then he has to be on his way to the island where it all began."

"And, where's that?"

"I don't know." Magnus answered truthfully because he actually didn't know. "But we will find it. I have a plan, but for it to work, we first need a crew. We can't do this on our own, this is a big ship after all."

Alec nodded. "Okay, then, where can we get a crew?"

"The Spiral Labyrinth."

"What's the Spiral Labyrinth?"

"A pirate port. I'm sure you're going to like it, it's pretty...folkloric." Magnus said, already walking away. He needed some time alone to put his thoughts in order and get his priorities straight. He couldn't let emotions cloud his judgment. He had a plan to follow and he wasn't going to let some pair of pretty eyes to-

"Magnus, wait!" Alec exclaimed.

"Yes?" Magnus stopped dead in his tracks.

"You were the captain of the Danube, weren't you?"

Magnus remained silent for some seconds. He hadn't been hiding it, but neither had he told Alec that he was, in fact, the captain of the Blue Danube. "Why do you think that?"

"It's obvious, I mean, why else would you be so willing to help me if not? You are free now, you could have just killed me when we made it out of Alicante, but you didn't. You really want to go after Valentine and that's because he has something you want. He has your ship, isn't he?"

Magnus stared at him for some seconds. "Yes, Alexander, he has it. The Danube was my ship."

"I'm going to help you."

"Come again?" Magnus asked surprised.

"I'm going to help you get your ship back." Alec said sincerely. "We're going to beat Valentine, get my brother back, and your ship too." He said with such determination that Magnus didn't doubt him for a second.

"How are you so sure?"

"I don't know...you said so yourself. We make a pretty decent team. I think that together we can actually beat Valentine and recover both your ship and my brother."

Magnus just smiled and turned around because, _what else could he do really?_ He was almost sure that this boy—this handsome, smart and sweet boy—could quickly become the downfall of the legendary Captain Magnus Bane.

 _Oh, Magnus._ He thought. _You're so screwed._

* * *

 **The next chapter will be up this Friday. If you want to say hi or ask me stuff don't hesitate to contact me on tumblr (links on my bio). My ask box is always open!**

 **See you soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So here's the new chapter! There are new faces appearing for the first time in this chapter, so I really hope you like it!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

The first stars of the night were just appearing in the sky when the skyline of the Spiral Labyrinth started to peek over the horizon. Magnus and Alec had been sailing for two days now, and although they both loved the sea more than anything in this world, it was always nice to see some land ahead, especially when they were in such need to stock up on certain things, namely food and rum.

When they had snooped around the supplies that the Clave, without knowing, had prepared for them, Magnus had discovered that among the crates and barrels occupying space in the storage compartment there was no rum—none at all. Not a single bottle of the precious amber liquid. Alec had been fine with it, he wasn't the drinking type, but Magnus had almost lost it after that. Rum was like the blood that ran through his veins, the elixir that kept him alive. Well, actually no, that was the water from the Fountain, but still. He needed rum, so reaching the Spiral Labyrinth before another day passed had become a priority, a matter of life or death.

"Look there, Alexander!" Magnus pointed toward the horizon. "See over there? That's the Spiral Labyrinth." He added, handing Alec his spyglass.

Alec took it and admired the view. "Well, it is smaller than I imagined it would be." He said sincerely.

"I told you it was a small island. In fact, the whole thing is the port...you can walk it all in one day." Magnus pointed out.

Alec seemed to analyze the information. "If it's so small, how is it that this is the most important pirate port in all Seven Seas?"

"Oh, because of its location, Alexander. Did you notice that we didn't see a single patch of land in all the way here?"

Alec nodded.

"That's because the island is located right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where the waters are so dark that sailors and merchants do not dare to sail."

"That's why it cannot be found on any map?" Alec asked curiously.

"No, actually, you can find it...you just need to have the right map, Alexander." Magnus said with a smile. Visiting this port always put him in a very good mood.

"So, the Clave knows of its existence?"

"They know alright, but they don't know how to find it. Maps with the location of the Spiral are the only secret that pirates have learned to keep for years, so you won't find one on your own—a pirate must give you one. And that, my dear, is a real act of trust."

"Why?" Alec asked intrigued.

"Because that place…" Magnus said, pointing to the now closer island, "is pirate heaven. There's no other pirate island in the world like this one. The Spiral is unique, dangerous, drunken, bawdy—the perfect place for us."

Alec took another look at the place. Now that they were closer the silhouettes of the buildings were more defined and the bustle of people could be heard.

"Well, it's noisy." Alec pointed out. "We are barely there and I can already hear all the commotion."

"You have no idea!" Magnus exclaimed. "This place is, perhaps, the noisiest place in the whole world."

"And, who discovered it? Has it been there for long? People live here?"

"Are you always so curious about everything?" Magnus asked quizzically.

Alec just nodded, lowering his head and blushing almost immediately. "I'm sorry, my father always tells me not to ask too much, but I can't help it. I like to know things." He confessed.

"It's okay, I admire an inquisitive mind." Magnus said. "And to quench your curiosity, I'll share some information. The Spiral Labyrinth has been around for as long as I can remember. Around the late 15th century, almost three centuries ago, a couple of English privateers, William 'Will' Herondale and James 'Jem' Carstairs, found this place and made it their berth. For years the Spiral was their hiding and sailing place, until well, they decided to share its location with the world and it became a safe haven for pirates, rogues, scoundrels, outlaws, privateers, prostitutes, thieves, drunkards and some sailors— _the creme de la creme_ of our society."

Alec laughed with that last part. "And, who rules here?"

"No one!" Magnus exclaimed. "That's the beauty of it. The Spiral Labyrinth is a lawless place with no one to rule it. We are all equal here, no one is above anyone."

"But, who controls the brawls and riots?" Alec wondered. "It cannot be a pirate port and not have confrontations."

"No one controls it, Alexander. We just let people solve their affairs the way they want."

"Like savages…"

"No, Alexander." Magnus said, lowering the sails. They were about to make port. "Like pirates."

Magnus and Alec busied themselves lowering the sails and tying the ship to the nearest dock. There were many ships, large and small, anchored in the port, but none that Magnus recognized—and that was a relief. He didn't want to come across someone to whom he owed something. There were several pirates sailing the seas that had one or two outstanding issues with him.

"Welcome to the Spiral Labyrinth!" Magnus exclaimed as they descended the ship. The night was now at its fullest and the stars shone high above the sky. "I could give you a brief tour if you want, but I think it's better if we just hurry. We have things to do before dawn and if we want to find a crew so quickly then we have to-" Magnus stopped when he noticed that Alec wasn't paying attention.

"Are you okay?" Magnus asked.

Alec looked uncomfortable. He was stiff, stealthy, watchful, as if waiting for something or someone to attack him at any moment.

"I-I can't go in there." Alec confessed.

"Why? Are you afraid of pirates? You sailed with one for two days, darling."

"No," Alec said, shaking his head to emphasize his statement, "I mean that I can't go in there dressed like this." He pointed at his slightly grubby, but still elegant outfit. "I'll stick out like a sore thumb! They'll think I'm some kind of spy from the Clave."

Magnus analyzed the situation for a minute. The boy had a point, he did look different from the rest of the male population of the island, but Magnus liked to believe that it was because the Lightwood boy was...well, very attractive. But maybe Alec was right and it was because of his clothing. Magnus hadn't thought about it, but Alec's elegant clothes did give him away.

"Here." Magnus said, taking off the cloak that the boy was wearing and opening his shirt a little.

"What are you doing?" Alec exclaimed scandalized, as if Magnus were stripping him.

"Helping you." Magnus said, rolling his eyes. "Now, stop whining and let me finish." He added, now messing Alec's hair a bit and tying a band—that he had gotten from tearing Alec's cloak on strands—around the boy's waist. "There, see? Now you look like one of us."

"I'm not a pirate."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, darling." Magnus said dismissively. "Now, shall we? We need to find the Emerald Prince. He is the one who's going to help us get the crew and-"

"A real prince lives here?" Alec asked surprised, as if the mere idea of a prince living on the island was impossible.

Magnus agreed that the Spiral didn't seem like quite the place for royalty to live, but it was not that bad. The island had its charm.

"Of course not, the Emerald Prince is just a nickname."

"Does he have a lot of emeralds or something?" Alec questioned.

"No, but he used to trade them to save slaves, so people started calling him like that." Magnus said. "Now, let's go. Come with me, the tavern is over here." He said, already making his way to the left side of the island, where a very ramshackle building stood. It was all crowded, but Magnus was not expecting anything less. The tavern was the most popular place in the entire island—and the dirtiest.

"Magnus, wait." Alec whispered.

"Now, what!?"

"Are you sure this is safe? I mean, what if people recognize me? I am the son of the Inquisitor, and yeah, maybe in the past he was one of you, but he betrayed his own captain, he's not an honorable man, even among pirates. What if-"

"No one will recognize you. Your father is well-known and despised here, but luckily for you, you got your mother's look. I don't know her, but I knew your father and you don't resemble him in the least." Magnus said. "Now follow me, and let me do the talking. You're pretty charming and all, but these people are dangerous."

Alec nodded, and Magnus opened the tavern's door with a smile. After all coming to this port always felt like coming home.

o-o-o-o-o

When they entered the tavern Alec was not surprised to discover that Magnus was well-known in the place. The man was a legend, people looked at him with awe and admiration. But Alec was very impressed to see that his fame was not all about his discoveries and activities as a pirate, no, Magnus Bane, was famous because he was...well, a lothario.

Boys and girls alike were exchanging pleasantries with him in a very flirtatious way. The news that Magnus had made port in the city had spread like wildfire and apparently, all the lovers that Magnus had ever had were there in line waiting to see him.

Alec caught some names, Etta, Axel, Edmund—they all were very attractive people. Some a little older for the young pirate, but attractive nonetheless.

"You're quite a catch around here." Alec pointed out when they were alone for a few seconds. "I didn't know you-"

"Magnus!" A man shouted from the other side of the tavern, interrupting what Alec was saying. He had brown skin, sparkling dark eyes and rumpled hair. "It's been so long!" He added, giving Magnus a quick peck on the lips. "I'm so glad that the winds have brought you back!"

"Imasu." Magnus said, smiling at the man. It was clear to Alec in the way they were familiar with each other that these two shared a past together. "I didn't know you were still here. I thought you were in Peru."

"No, I was there for some time, but the waves brought me back." Imasu said. "And, who's this?" He asked, pointing to Alec, who had just been watching them. Alec couldn't deny that the man was handsome, in his own way, but handsome.

"Oh, this is Alexander." Magnus said, formally introducing them. "Alexander…this is Imasu, an old...friend."

Alec acknowledge Imasu with a polite nod. The man seemed to be sweet and very friendly, but there was something in the way he was looking at him that made Alec feel unsure about him.

"Well, it's good to have you back." Imasu continued, ignoring Alec. "When the boy from the docks came to inform us that you were here, I said to myself, _'Imasu you have to see that with your own eyes.'_ There was a rumor about you and we weren't sure if you were still alive, but I'm glad you're fine. We must celebrate! Have some drinks while you share with us your latest adventures. I'll even play the charango just for you. If you want, I can call some-"

"I'm not here for pleasure, Imasu." Magnus interrupted him. "I have some business to attend, actually."

"Oh, okay, that's fine. But I'll still play your favorite ballads. I'll just go get my stuff and be right back." Imasu said, already walking away.

"Well, that was Imasu." Magnus sighed. "He was a slave brought from Peru nearly five years ago. I saved him and since then he's been very…grateful. I think he's still trying to pay me for what I did for him." He added.

"With sexual favors?" Alec couldn't stop the words from spilling out of his mouth. He had seen the way Imasu was looking at Magnus: as if he were the reason why the stars shone at night.

Magnus looked at him with surprise. "Sometimes…" he admitted, "but mostly, he just plays for me. He's a great musician, you'll see."

Alec chuckled, avoiding Magnus's gaze and looking around the very crowded tavern. He felt uncomfortable. He was with a man he barely knew and whenever he learned something new about him, it made him feel uneasy. It was like reading a very complex map that although he found easy to read, had hidden and probably dark secrets that Alec didn't know if he wanted to discover. He trusted Magnus because he had no choice, but there was no doubt that the pirate represented an enigma that Alec didn't feel prepared to solve.

"So, anyway," Magnus said, "sit here please." He said, pointing at one of the few empty tables. "And wait for me."

"Where are you going?" Alec asked already panicking. He didn't want to be left alone in that place. He felt like a sheep among wolves—an easy target.

"To look for my First Mate."

"Then I should go with you, I don't want to stay here and do nothing. I can be useful, you saw it yourself. I can-"

"I'm not saying you're not useful, Alexander." Magnus interrupted him. "But I have to do this on my own, I'm sure you understand. Just stay here, okay?"

Alec sighed, but nodded. "Fine."

"Okay, I'll be back shortly. Stay out of trouble and stay away from the prostitutes! Yeah, they are beautiful, but they are like mermaids. Deadly creatures, Alexander. They'll just make you lose your mind...and your money. Besides, we don't have time for that."

"I…" Alec tried to speak, but words were failing him.

"It's okay, just keep an eye out. Girls around here have a soft spot for pretty boys like you, so be good and do not fall into temptation."

"I-I…that won't be a problem." Alec finally found the words.

"Why? Is there already a lovely bride waiting for you back in Alicante?" Magnus asked curiously.

"What?" Alec asked confused. "No! It's not that...I'm-I'm…"

"Already married?" Magnus asked like trying to guess.

"No! God...I'm gay, okay?" Alec said, lowering his face completely abashed. To say that he was still not very comfortable with his sexuality was a big understatement. Back home the whole _'Alec likes boys'_ topic was a taboo. They simply couldn't accept the fact that the firstborn of the Inquisitor of the Clave was gay. It was not right, they said. Alec had a duty to his family. He had to carry the name and honor of the Lightwoods to the next generation.

"Well, in that case stay away from the boys. They won't steal your money, but they'll probably fuck your brains out." Magnus said with a wink.

"Jesus, Magnus!" Alec exclaimed scandalized. That was information that he didn't need to know. "Just get out of here."

Magnus laughed and quickly got lost in the crowd. Alec tried to followed him with his eyes, to see where the pirate was heading, but the flood of people made it impossible. He didn't know where Magnus was. The dim light coming from the candles wasn't enough for him to see what happened beyond a few tables. He tried for some minutes, but there was no sign of the pirate. It was as if the earth had swallowed him.

"He went to the back of the bar," a female voice said, "the Prince is waiting for him there."

Alec looked up. There was a black woman smiling at him. She was very pretty and her warm smile made Alec feel as if he could trust her. She was carrying a pitcher of beer and a couple of bowls with peanuts in them.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, remembering Magnus's advice to stay out of trouble and not talk to anyone.

"He trained you well, but don't worry, you can trust me. I'm Catarina, I own this tavern." She smiled. "Here, have a beer. This one's on the house."

Alec smiled and although he didn't like to drink that much, he accepted the foamy beer with gratitude. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was. "You know him well?" Alec asked after drinking half the beer in one gulp.

"Magnus? Yes...he's been around for a very long time." She said with a wink. "Are you his new Cabin Boy?" She asked, eying him from head to toe.

"Hmmm, no. We're just hmmm, helping each other out."

"Well, he did say that you had helped him out of prison, so he owes you big, but don't forget that he's a pirate." She warned him. "If there's something I've learned over the years is to never trust them completely."

"Why are you telling me this?" Alec asked half puzzled, half worried.

"Because you're not like the rest...I can see it in your eyes—you're a good man. And I'm not saying that Magnus isn't a good man too, God knows that he is, but he's not perfect." She said. "Just be careful, okay?" She added, walking away and leaving Alec more confused and more worried than before.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus stepped out of the bar and made his way to the small table that was hidden behind some barrels and crates. A man was already sitting there, drinking something from a pitcher. His hair, as per usual, was stylized to resemble a pair of horns and his clothes were, to no one's surprise, a complete mess.

"I hate it when you start without me." Magnus said, patting the man on the back with a lot of familiarity.

"My dear old friend, if I always waited for you I'd never drink a single drop of rum. You're never here. How am I supposed to know that you suddenly remembered that you have friends?"

"You're always so melodramatic, Ragnor." Magnus said, grabbing the other pitcher that was on the table. "You know I'm always thinking about you, my dear Prince, I'm just a busy man."

"Yeah, busy enough to get yourself arrested without me being there to make fun of your pitiful life."

"That was an incident, a mistake on my part that won't happen again." Magnus said. "How have you been?"

"Trying my best, my friend." Ragnor said. "But, tell me what happened? Why did you get arrested? What were you doing in Alicante in the first place? Didn't we agree to never set foot in there again?"

"Blimey, Ragnor! Are you my friend or my father?" Magnus said. "I was following a lead near Alicante, but my boat suffered some damage during a storm, so I made port there to try to fix it. It didn't work, though, by the time I arrived the boat was no more than a single floating piece of wood."

"Did you get arrested for that?"

"What?" Magnus exclaimed, taking a sip of his drink. "No, of course not. I was trying to be a good citizen and that was when they caught me."

"A good citizen by trying to steal something?" Ragnor asked in a joke.

"Actually no," Magnus confessed, "I was helping someone."

"Is that someone the boy who came with you?" Ragnor inquired.

"You saw him?"

"Aye, when the kid from the docks came running to the tavern to inform us about your arrival, I couldn't believe it, so I went there to see for myself. You were there with him on the docks—undressing him. Is he your new boy toy?"

"What? No! And first, I wasn't undressing him, I was helping him look more like a pirate, and second, he's not my new boy toy. In fact, he is the reason why I'm here—literally." Magnus said. He could see that Ragnor wasn't understanding anything, so he elaborated. "I'm going after the Danube, Ragnor."

"Haven't you been doing that for the past fifteen years?"

"Aye, but this time I know I'm going to get it back. I have something I didn't have before." Magnus said with a smile.

"And, what is that?"

"Seriously, Ragnor?" Magnus rolled his eyes. He never had to explain his plans in such detail. Usually, his friend understood them even before having to hear the rest. "The boy! You idiot prince of green minerals."

"The boy? How is it that this boy's so important?"

"Alexander is the son of Robert Lightwood." He said as a matter of explanation, but his friend was still not understanding the plan. "Did you hear about the attack in Alicante?"

Ragnor nodded.

"That was Valentine's doing. He attacked at night and, do you know what he took?"

Ragnor shook his head.

"Robert's son...Jason."

"He took one of his sons?" Ragnor asked surprised. "You think that?"

"Aye," Magnus nodded, "you remember that old tale we found about the curse?"

"Aye." Ragnor nodded in understanding. He was finally catching up with Magnus's plan.

"I think that our dear Captain Morgenstern finally found it too."

"So you think it's true then?" Ragnor inquired. "Does he really need the boy to break it?"

"Aye, but here's the part that I like the most, my friend." Magnus said, almost whispering now. "He took the wrong son."

"What?"

"James is adopted." Magnus said. "Alexander is his eldest son."

Ragnor's eyes widened. Magnus knew that he had put two and two together. "How did you convince him to come with you so willingly?"

"I didn't...he was the one who asked for my help. He wants to save his brother."

"So he doesn't know that...?"

"No," Magnus shook his head, "and he can't find out. He's reckless, he'll just ruin everything."

"Then what did you tell him about the treasure?"

"Not much, just what he needed to know." Magnus confessed.

"But if he's coming with us, we can't hide the truth forever. He'll learn the truth and-"

"We will try." Magnus said. For his plan to work it was essential that Alec didn't find out the truth. If what he had learned from him these past days was true then he knew that Alec wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself just to save his brother, and if he did that, Magnus would never have the chance to recover his ship. They had to be very careful.

"How?"

"We will focus on finding the bloody island. I'm sure Valentine is already on his way there." Magnus said.

"Aye, but how long do we have? Finding the island won't be easy. By the time we know where it is, the boy's brother could already be dead."

"I don't know, my friend. For all I know we could already be late and Jesse is dead, but Alexander can't know that. We still need him. When Valentine realizes that the other boy's blood didn't work, he'll try to get his hands on Alexander and that's when we get my ship back."

Ragnor nodded. "One for the other."

"Aye." Magnus said with a smile.

"Then we need to get our hands on that old tale again, my dear friend." Ragnor pointed out. "And this time it would be wise to bring with us someone who can read and translate Spanish and Latin."

"Let me guess?" Magnus said, already mocking his friend. "The only person in the world who can read both is your love, am I right?"

Ragnor smiled. "What can I say, I'm biased, my dear."

"You both are disgusting." Magnus said. "But never mind, bring whoever you want just remember that we don't have much time. We part at dawn."

"But hmmm...there's a slight inconvenience, my friend."

"What?"

"Hmmm, in order for me to ask my love to help us, we need to make a brief detour to Cadiz."

"In Spain? Why? What happened?"

"Oh, nothing to worry about, on the contrary, we had some things we wanted to sell and there was a couple of Spanish privateers that seemed interested." Ragnor said. "But it's okay because the church where we found the tale about the curse is in Cartagena so it is on our way anyway."

Magnus sighed. "Aye, alright." He agreed. "But you must get us a crew and rum."

"How many?"

"Thousands of barrels my friend."

"No, you insufferable alcoholic, how many men?"

"Twenty or thirty. We don't need many."

"Are you planning on overthrowing Valentine and his crew with only twenty men?"

Magnus shook his head. "I'm planning on overthrowing Valentine with just one man." He said, with a smile.

"I don't know if you're crazy or just brilliant, but I'll get us some men." Ragnor said. "And let the God of the seas protect us 'cause I'm not sure whether we will make it out alive this time or not."

"Fear not, my friend." Magnus said. "This time I'm not letting that scallywag escape with my ship. I don't care who is helping him. The Danube will be mine again, even if I have to sink with it myself."

Ragnor smiled. "Then...may your anchor be tight-" he said lifting his drink.

"-your cork be loose-" Magnus continued.

"-your rum be spiced-"

"-and your compass be true." Magnus said, clinking his drink with Ragnor's.

They drank the full content and slammed the empty pitchers on the table. This adventure was just beginning and the winds seemed to be already blowing in their favor.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. The next chapter will be up next Tuesday, so see you soon! Come talk to me on tumblr (link on bio)!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! First things first, I know I promised this chapter for this past Tuesday, but things happened and I couldn't finish it. But worry not, me hearties, today you'll get two chapters instead of one ;) (over 10K words!) Yay!**

 **I have some notes for this couple of chapters so let's start, shall we? Many of you have already guessed who the character that our lovely crew will be picking up in Cadiz is, so just keep in mind that for the sake of this fic (and because my friend Haley loves him so much) I have decided to pair him with another of our characters even though they are not canonically a couple. Also, CH5 has some Spanish words and a lot of explanation about the treasure and stuff (similar to CH3) because I want everyone to have as much information as possible before the romance begins ;) (I love slow burn so you've been warned)**

 **Anyway, hope you like these chapters and remember that reviews, faves, and follows are always welcome ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

It had been four days since they had left the Spiral Labyrinth with a crew of twenty-four men including them, and Alec still didn't know much about the scheme they were following or what they planned to do next. He only knew what little Magnus had shared with him.

They were heading to Cadiz, in Spain, to pick up a person who would be helping them with some translations that they would have to do once they got to Cartagena; another city in Spain where they would be looking for an old text that Magnus had once read and that apparently contained the location of the island where the treasure had been hidden, and where they believed Valentine was going.

 _Why they needed a translator? And, how come Magnus had gotten hold of that text in the first place?_ Alec didn't know. The pirate had been very cautious about the information he shared with him, and although Alec understood why—they didn't know each other well—that didn't make it any less frustrating.

Alec felt as if he were being left in the dark on purpose, as if he were not smart enough to understand the plan—and that made him feel angry. He was not a landlubber, as pirates called those unfamiliar with the sea or seamanship, he was a smart man and a highly trained sailor who had demonstrated his abilities again and again over the past few days. _Why was Magnus hiding things from him?_ He didn't know, but he was tired of it.

He had tried to ask Magnus, to make him talk, but the pirate was very smart. He knew how to deflect conversations and change the subject without people even noticing, and that was frustrating. Alec had lost his last ounce of patience this morning when he had tried, for the umpteenth time, to make Magnus talk and all that he had gotten as a response had been a silly—and clearly invented—story of how the pirate had helped Queen Marie Antoinette to leave Paris and escape with her family half a year ago.

So now Alec was trying to get information from the only other person aboard the ship who had answers to his questions: Ragnor Fell.

The man was weird and he didn't seem to be very friendly; he was grumpy and serious most of the time, but he had been in a very good mood since Magnus had informed the entire crew that they would be arriving to Cadiz the next day. Alec knew it was a long shot to try to use Ragnor to get information, but it seemed to be his last resort.

"It's a beautiful night." Alec said, approaching the quirky pirate.

The man was alone in the poop deck—the highest deck at the stern of the ship above the captain's quarters—just looking at the stars with a bottle of rum half finished. A bottle that Alec himself had made sure ended up in Ragnor's hands.

Alec had noticed that men tended to be more open and careless when they were under the influence of alcohol, so he had—quite deliberately—asked one of the cabin boys to give Ragnor a well-deserved bottle of rum. _"From his captain,"_ he had asked the boy to add just to ensure that Ragnor drank the amber liquid.

"It certainly is." Ragnor agreed with a smile. He sounded uncoordinated and particularly happy, so Alec knew his plan had worked—this man was ready to talk.

"You look very happy tonight." Alec started the conversation by stating the obvious. He was not very good at socializing, but considering Ragnor's intoxicated state, he figured his lack of ability wouldn't matter that much. "I bet you've missed her."

"Who?" Ragnor asked confused.

"The girl we'll pick up in Cadiz," Alec said, "Magnus said she was your lover."

"Well, first it's not a girl, and second, he's not my lover, he's my love." Ragnor said. "It's not the same."

"I'm sorry." Alec quickly apologized. "I just assumed, I mean, I didn't know you were-"

"Me neither, but then he came along." Ragnor said, staying silent for a few minutes.

Alec was trying to find a way to resume the conversation, but his mind was blank, _where was his sister when he needed her the most?_ She would know what to do, what to say. She was the smartest person he knew and-

"And you? Is there someone special in your life?" Ragnor asked, snapping Alec out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you in love with someone?"

"Me? No, no, I-I...no, I'm not." Alec said. The question had taken him by surprise.

"Oh, come on!" Ragnor exclaimed a little bit too loud. "With a face like yours, I bet there are hundreds of young ladies waiting in line just to be with you."

Alec blushed. "I-I don't think so...I-I'm-I'm...I don't like girls."

"Well, then gentlemen."

Alec chuckled. "Things in Alicante are very different. We have an image to protect, rules to follow. I don't doubt that there are people like me, but it's not something we talk about and much less encourage." He shared. "The Clave is not very supportive of people who don't follow their strict close-minded protocols and the punishments are very cruel, so people don't take the risk confessing their preferences...it's not worth it."

"So people don't know you...?" Ragnor asked. He seemed genuinely intrigued.

"Oh, no, they know alright." Alec confessed.

He hadn't expected the conversation to turn in that direction, but now that it was happening he couldn't stop himself from sharing his story. He hadn't tell anyone besides his siblings, and although being open about it wasn't what he usually did, he figured it didn't matter since Ragnor wouldn't remember a thing the next day—alcohol would take care of that. "If I'm honest, it's not something I wanted people to know, but it happened. It wasn't voluntary, though. I didn't want to, but I had to tell my family and the Clave when the situation forced me."

"Why?"

"My dad tried to set me up in marriage with the daughter of one of his friends when I turned eighteen. When I refused to play along, he involved the Clave and that was when I had no choice but to tell them why I didn't want to marry this girl Lydia. She was nice and beautiful, but I couldn't see her as more than a friend. She was already in love with some boy from town, John, and we both were being forced to marry each other against our will. So I did what I had to do and confessed my secret." Alec said.

"And, what did they do?"

"Nothing." Alec sighed. "If it had been anyone else they would have probably send me to the gallows or to exile, but since I am the son of their very own Inquisitor, they simply ignored it and pretended that I never said it. I know people murmur behind my back, but other than that, they just pretend it never happened."

"But at least it helped you to stop that marriage."

"Yeah," Alec nodded, "they stopped trying to set me up with girls and my father focused on finding my sister a worthy husband instead."

"Your father has always been one annoying headache." Ragnor admitted, taking the remaining rum.

"You knew him too?"

"I was part of Magnus's crew when Valentine took the Danube."

"How old were you?" Alec asked intrigued. Ragnor looked no older than thirty.

"Fourteen." Ragnor said. "I was a cabin boy back then."

"So you've known Magnus from quite some time, huh?" Alec asked. The conversation was finally taking the path he had intended since the beginning.

"Yeah, we've been friends for a very long time." Ragnor confessed. "I was one of the few men who stood by him when he lost everything. Poor man, he's been around for nearly two centuries and nothing, nothing has hurt him as much as losing the Danube."

Alec tried to digest that information for some seconds. He knew that Magnus was somehow immortal, but hearing that he had been around for nearly two centuries was still shocking. When Alec had asked him how long he had been drinking from the Fountain of Youth, the pirate had refused to tell him, and now Alec knew why. If it weren't for the fact that he hadn't aged at all, Magnus would have almost two hundred years old.

"How did it happen?" Alec asked. "How did he lose the Danube?"

"It was one night, almost fifteen years ago." Ragnor said, quickly fading into the memory. "We were on our way to the Caribbean when it happened. Valentine had been trying to steal Magnus's ship for some time, but there was no ship faster than the Danube, so he had found impossible to catch us. That night, however, he did. I had been sent to the crow's nest as punishment for not doing my tasks, so I saw it all. The night was unusually dark and there was no wind, it was freezing and suddenly, out of nowhere, Valentine's ship was right in front of us. We tried to outrun it, but the Danube seemed to be anchored in the middle of the sea."

"But, how?"

"I don't know, it was as if something more powerful than anything we have ever encountered were holding us down. Anyway, Valentine and his people started to swarm across the Danube and the battle began. Some men fought, but some other surrendered. Valentine offered them a place in his crew and those bastards agreed. The rest of us either died or were taken as prisoners."

"What happened to you?"

"I stood by my captain until they captured me. Then Valentine left Magnus to die at some deserted island and we were sold to the highest bidder. A couple of years later, when I managed to escape, I found Magnus again. I wasn't surprised to see him alive, that man is a hard nut to crack, but I was surprised to discover that he didn't have a ship of his own, so I helped him and we snagged one. I became his First Mate and we returned to business. We sailed together for years until I decided to settle down. That's when I lost contact with him until recently."

"So were you with him when he found that old text we're going after?"

"When he found it, no. But I was there when he went back to read it again." Ragnor said, and Alec frowned confused. This man wasn't making any sense and that had nothing to do with the fact that he was drunk.

"Magnus had read about the Angel's Treasure when he was a little kid," Ragnor continued, "but he always-"

"Wait a minute...the Angel's Treasure?"

"Aye, the treasure of all treasures—Raziel's Treasure." Ragnor said. "But don't distract me! I'm telling a story! Like I was saying, Magnus had read about it when he was a little boy, but he had always thought of it as a children's tale. When Valentine stole the Danube rumors about a powerful treasure began to emerge and that's when Magnus realized that the old tale about the Angel's Treasure that he used to read as a child wasn't a children's tale after all, but the real thing."

"So he went back for the book?"

"We did," Ragnor said, "it had been more than a century since Magnus had been home, so it took us a while to find it again."

"Home? Does that mean that Magnus was born in Spain?"

"No, he was born in Indonesia, I think, but he was raised in Madrid, Spain, by some sect of monks known as _'los hermanos silenciosos'_ or the silent brothers."

"Raised?" Alec couldn't help asking. He wanted to know more about the Angel's Treasure, but he was also curious about Magnus. The pirate intrigued him. "What happened to his parents?"

"I don't know for sure." Ragnor said. "He never talks about them, I just know that his mother killed herself when he was a kid."

Alec tried to put aside the image that was taking shape in the back of his head of a young Magnus discovering that his own mother had killed herself. It was too painful. "And his father?"

"The coward drowned himself in the middle of the ocean." Magnus said, making both Alec and Ragnor to jump scared.

Alec didn't know how long the pirate had been listening to their conversation, but he was suddenly feeling guilty of having crossed a private line.

"I'm sorry…" He was quick to say.

"Are you?" Magnus asked not too surprised. "Because it seems that you, very deliberately, waited until this filthy loudmouth was loaded to the gunwalls to get information out of him. Didn't I tell you that I would share with you what you needed to know when you needed to know it?"

"Well, yes, but you seem to think that I don't need to know anything ever. I don't even know why we need a translator in the first place, and why is this book in Cartagena? Ragnor said something about Madrid, so why is it there instead? And, why don't you have it with you if it's so valuable? I don't like being left in the dark, Magnus! I'm not stupid, you can trust me." Alec said.

"I've never said you are stupid," Magnus said, grabbing the bottle that Ragnor was holding, but finding it already empty, "and I was going to tell you everything tomorrow when we arrived to Cadiz, but since you can't wait for a couple more hours, I guess I can start now."

"Please." Alec said. He saw Magnus rolling his eyes.

"Then let's go to my quarters, I'm not going to share that story when half the crew can hear it."

"The crew is asleep." Alec pointed out. "And I'm not going anywhere. You can tell me whatever you want here." He said sure of himself. He wasn't going to enclose himself in Magnus's quarters—that was not right.

"Are you afraid I might rob you of your virtue?" Magnus asked jokingly. "Alexander, you offend me. I'm an honorable pirate, I would never do anything against your will, but if that's what you want, I'm more than willing to indulge."

"I never said that."

"I know, darling, but a man can dream...now, shall we?"

"Why can't you just tell me the story here?"

"Because the crew can hear it and there's no rum. I need rum, Alexander, so either you go with me or you stay here trying to get information from this traitor."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Fine." He said.

He hated to be bossed around, but he was way too curious about the story to protest any further. Besides, Ragnor seemed to be falling asleep already and it was always better to hear the story from the man himself, so despite his hesitation, he followed Magnus to his cabin.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus entered his quarters and immediately grabbed two silver goblets, pouring some rum in them and offering one to Alec, who just eyed the amber liquid suspiciously.

"It's not poisoned." Magnus pointed out, grabbing Alec's glass and taking a sip just to prove his point. "Why would I want to kill you?"

"It's not that...I just don't like rum." Alec said.

Magnus chuckled. "I knew you couldn't be that perfect." He muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, Alexander." Magnus covered himself up. "I just find that surprising. I hadn't met a man who didn't like rum. You want some beer? You seemed to enjoy the ones Catarina gave you back in the Spiral."

Alec just nodded, so Magnus grabbed a pitcher and poured some beer from one of the barrels that he had there for his personal use. "Here…" He said, taking a seat in front of Alec.

The man was scanning the room, eyeing everything with detail. Being the captain had its perks and Magnus knew it. Of all the cabins on the ship, his was the most spacious. He had a large bed, a desk, a small bookshelf, some cupboards and a coffee table.

"The captain's cabin is always the best one." Alec pointed out.

"It is."

They were silent for some minutes just taking sips from their respective drinks. Magnus could see that Alec was trying hard not to start asking questions. If there was something he had learned about the boy in these past days was that he was extremely curious about everything.

"How much did Ragnor say?" Magnus finally asked. He had only heard the last part of their conversation, and he wanted to know how far Ragnor had blundered.

"Not much, he just shared with me how Valentine got the Danube and how, when the legends about the treasure began to spread, you discovered that the children's tale you had read when you were a kid was actually true. He was telling me about the treasure and how you both found the text again when you arrived."

Magnus meditated for some seconds. Apparently, things weren't that bad after all. He could share with Alec certain things and just leave aside the part in which due to some twists and turns of fate he was necessary to break the curse.

"Well, then I guess I can continue where Ragnor left off. Like he shared with you, I was raised by the silent brothers. A sect of monks who used to live in Madrid. They had the most amazing collection of books you could imagine. From geography to philosophy, everything was there. As I grew up, they made me read them all as part of my formation. Through the many books I read, I came across a peculiar text that narrated the adventures of a brave sailor. That book always intrigued me. First, because I wanted to be a sailor myself, and second, because I couldn't read it well."

Alec frowned in confusion.

"The book was in Spanish and Latin." Magnus said as a matter of explanation. "I did alright with Spanish, since the brothers had made sure I learned it well, but my Latin was awful. I knew a thing or two but never enough to actually translate it. Anyway, for years I read that book thinking it was just a children's book, but when Valentine took the Danube and the legends about the treasure started to emerge, I realized that I had heard a similar story before. It had been many years since then, so it took me a while to remember from where, but I eventually did, and so Ragnor and I went back to Madrid to look for the book."

"But it's not in Madrid, right? We're heading to Cartagena." Alec said.

"Aye, the book wasn't there. The brothers, who had been like a family to me, had passed away a long time ago, but the church was still there. We looked everywhere, but we couldn't find it. Desperate, we asked around and that's how we found out that when the sect had disappeared due to some religious problems, the remaining members of it had fled to Cartagena to find peace there."

"And you found them?"

"I did." Magnus admitted. "They didn't know who I was, but when I told them about the brothers who had raised me, they believed me and let me see the books they had brought with them. Fortunately, the book was there, it's a book that they had treasured for years as it had been written by the first sailor of all times in 1234."

"If this book was written in 1234, does that mean that the treasure has been hidden for more than 500 years?"

"Way more, Alexander. That treasure's been hidden for as long as humans have roamed the earth." Magnus said. "This sailor was just the first one to find it."

"I thought that had been Valentine." Alec said.

"Oh, no. He was the first one of this century, but not the only one." Magnus said. "I don't know how the rumors about the treasure started, but I do know that they all come from the same book. Jonathan, the sailor, described everything he knew about the Angel's Treasure on several pages."

"The sailor's name was Jonathan?" Alec asked surprised.

"Yes, why?"

"That's my brother's name." Alec said as if that explained everything.

"Wasn't your brother's name James? Or, was it Jason? Jesse?"

"No, it's Jace...short for Jonathan." Alec said. "That's why Valentine needs him, isn't it? The first person who found the treasure was Jonathan, that must be the connection."

Magnus knew that Alec couldn't be more wrong, but he didn't correct him. "It could be...anyway, we're straying from the original story. The brothers let me reread the story. My Latin hadn't improved with the years so there were parts I still couldn't understand, but I figured they were not that important. My only goal was to know the story in order to see if there was anything there that could help me get my ship back, I was never interested in going after a cursed treasure."

"And did you find anything?"

"Not really, because the entire text is very confusing, but at least I knew that the treasure Valentine wanted was real, so I spent the next fifteen years of my life going after him, trying to follow his steps, but the man is smart...and he has the Danube so..."

"Okay, the text is confusing, but you must have learned something, right? What was it?" Alec asked. "I want to know."

"What I already shared with you." Magnus lied. "That there's a treasure with such value that whoever possessed it would be able to control and change the world at will. It's called Angel's Treasure because it belonged to Raziel, the Angel of Secrets himself."

"And he was the one who cursed it, right? I remember you said an angel descended from heaven and sent a curse upon Valentine and his crew." Alec said.

Magnus nodded.

"I'd like to know more about it. I mean, this treasure seems to be in the center of everything, so...what's the value of it?"

"Weren't you listening? Whoever possessed it would be able to control and change the world at will."

"Yes, but what is it? Magic? Gold? What?"

"I don't know, I don't have all the answers, Alexander." Magnus said sincerely, but he could see that Alec didn't look convinced. "You'll have to trust me on this one."

"Fine...and, what does the story say about the curse?" Alec asked.

"I don't know either." Magnus lied. He actually knew that part pretty well, the only thing he was missing was the location of the island where it was hidden, and as he had already said, what the treasure was actually about.

"That's why we're bringing a translator with us this time." Alec stated. He was finally putting the pieces together. "To help us fill in the blanks."

"Aye." Magnus nodded.

"I have another question." Alec said. "Well, several actually."

"I would be surprised if you didn't." Magnus said with a smile.

"You talk about this book as if it were the only place in the world where the information about this treasure is contained, so...how come Valentine found out how to break the curse? If he stole this book, then our trip to Cartagena will be in vain and-"

"He didn't steal it, I'm sure of that." Magnus said. "First, because he wouldn't dare to set foot in Cartagena, and second, because it's hidden where no one can find it. And if, as we assume, Valentine found out how to break the curse he must have either found a more detailed legend about the treasure, or he finally managed to go to the underworld, which I doubt, because he's as crazy as he's always been."

"Okay, so let's assume he found a more detailed text of the legend." Alec said. "Now, what are we going to do after we have recovered this book?"

"Do our research and try to find where the bloody island is, and once we've done that we will go after him and take back what is ours."

"But that could take us months, years...we don't have much time, my brother could be dead already."

"I know, Alexander, but that's all we can do for now. I'm hoping that with the combined intelligence of all of us we can find the location more quickly, but what you said about time is true, we couldn't have much left."

"Do you think he's still alive?" Alec asked. "My brother?"

Magnus's first instinct was to tell him the truth and shake his head, but the fear and pain that flashed through Alec's eyes made him change his mind. "Yes, I'm sure he's alive."

"Really?"

Magnus nodded, taking a sip of his rum to avoid looking at Alec straight in the eye.

"Okay, then." Alec said, standing up. He seemed more positive and confident than before. In fact, he was smiling and Magnus realized that the boy had a very beautiful smile. "I'll try to help in any way I can, I don't speak Latin or Spanish, but I know a word or two."

"Okay…" Magnus said, not really knowing what else to say.

"I'll go to let you rest for some hours, then." Alec said. "And, thanks for telling me."

Magnus took a deep breath. "You're welcome."

"Goodnight, Magnus." Alec said, making his way out.

"Goodnight, Alexander." Magnus replied, watching the boy go. "And Alec?"

"Yes?"

"Since my quartermaster is clearly intoxicated tonight, could you please replace him just for some hours and make sure the men are up before dawn?"

"Sure." Alec said. "I can do that."

"Good. Then, I'll see you later."

"Okay." Alec said, giving Magnus one last soft smile and closing the door behind him.

Magnus took what little was left of his rum in one gulp. This boy was little by little growing on him and that was bad, really, really bad.

o-o-o-o-o

After his conversation with Magnus, Alec decided to stay awake for the remainder of the night and just analyze all the information he had learned in the past few hours. When he first planned to use Ragnor to get information, he never imagined he would get to hear the story from Magnus himself, but he was happy with how things had turned out.

He finally knew why Valentine needed his brother to break the curse and what was Magnus's plan to rescue him. He had learned not only little things about the pirate's life, but also what was the mystery behind the so-called Angel's Treasure. Now Alec had an idea of the whole situation and although he was aware that time was not in their favor, he had to be positive.

He knew he would save his brother. _How?_ He wasn't sure, but he knew he would.

Alec stayed in his little cabin thinking for hours until he guessed it was time to wake the crew. The sun would be up any minute now and he had responsibilities, albeit temporary, to fulfill. Alec walked down to the tween deck—where the crew slept in hammocks—and woke them, following Magnus's instructions.

The men immediately began to move around, completing their respective tasks. When Alec walked into the main deck of the ship again, Magnus was already there, taking over the helm and doing what he did best: captaining the ship. Alec couldn't deny that since the first time they had sailed with a proper crew, he had found Magnus's captain persona very...impressive. Being behind the helm gave Magnus this air of power and sophistication that Alec found very difficult not to admire.

"Still the sails, and stow 'em! Lower the flags, and be ready to make port!" Magnus was yelling, instructing his men. "Alexander!"

Alec jumped in surprise when he heard his name.

"Well done." Magnus said, winking at him.

Alec didn't know what to say, so he just smiled and started helping the men, pulling lines and trimming the sails. He knew that replacing Ragnor had only been temporary, but the feeling of having done things right had left him in a very good mood.

"You need something?" Alec asked Ragnor when the latter emerged from his cabin. Alec didn't know how he had managed to get in there, but when Alec had left Magnus's quarters the night before and looked for the pirate, the man had already been gone. "Food? Water?" He suggested. Ragnor looked as if he were about to die and Alec felt a little guilty about it.

Ragnor looked at him with a serious face. There was no trace of the chatty and friendly man from last night. "No, just make sure these scallywags do their job. I'll go get some beer. My love can't see me like this." He said, disappearing from view.

Alec continued working and making sure that all men were helping. Doing manual work always helped him feel energized. He hadn't slept at all, but he didn't feel tired—at least not yet.

"Alexander!" Magnus called him again. "Look!" He said, throwing him his spy-glass and beckoning him to see beyond the bow of the ship.

Alec used the spy-glass to take a look at what Magnus was pointing. It was Cadiz. The city was just a tiny dot on the horizon, but Alec could see through the lens the port slowly taking shape the closer they got.

It was a very charming town with cobbled streets and houses washed in different colors—sand and ocher, pale rose and white. The sun was barely out, but Alec could glimpse between houses some bell-towers of what he assumed was a very large cathedral. The port was packed and men seemed to be getting ready for a day of fishing. Alec didn't even know that Cadiz was a fishing port.

"Prepare to make port!" Ragnor yelled. "Put the gangplank and moor the ship!"

Alec hadn't noticed that the pirate was back and looking as cool as a cucumber. Alec had been staring at the city for at least twenty minutes without even blinking.

"Let's go." Magnus said. He was standing behind Alec looking towards the city with a smile on his face.

Alec nodded and descended the Avenger with Magnus. Ragnor was still somewhere in the main deck instructing the men to stay behind and look after the ship.

"Where are we going to find this person?" Alec asked, but didn't get to hear an answer because in that moment, a man, walking from the other side of the docks approached them.

He was young and very handsome. He had dark hair, thin eyebrows, and honey-colored skin. He was toned and was quite tall, not as tall as Alec, but enough to be noticed, even from afar.

"Well, well, well, look what the tides have brought to Cadiz." The man said. "Un pirata." He exclaimed, clearly recognizing Magnus.

"Raphael." Magnus said, smiling at the man. "How have you been?"

"I can't complain." Raphael said. "And you? What brought you here? I thought you-" He suddenly fell silent. He clearly hadn't seen Ragnor, who had just descended the ship. "Ragnor?"

"Hello, my love." Ragnor smiled, quickly approaching him.

They were holding each other in a very tender way, just enjoying being together. Alec observed—with some jealousy—how the two men looked at each other; it was like watching two souls becoming one again. Alec didn't know how long they'd been separated, but it was clear that they had missed each other a lot.

"I bet you weren't expecting me." Ragnor said.

"No, I thought I'd see you next week in the Spiral." Raphael said.

"Change of plans. I decided to join this fool in his new adventure." Ragnor said, pointing at Magnus, but otherwise pretending he wasn't even there. It was clear that when Raphael was there, Ragnor had no eyes for anyone else.

"I see he got a new ship." Raphael pointed out.

"I did, Alexander here, helped me get it." Magnus said, drawing attention to them. They had been stoically ignored for the last few minutes.

"Is this you new boy toy?" Raphael asked, finally looking past Ragnor.

"Why does everyone think that?" Magnus exclaimed, rolling his eyes in a very dramatic way. "No, he's not. We're helping each other, that's all."

"In bed?" Raphael asked, and Alec tried not to blush.

"No, you moron, we're going after Valentine. Our fellow pirate took Alexander's brother and I, as you already know, want my ship back."

"Are you out of your mind?" Raphael exclaimed, perplexed. "You can't be seriously considering the idea of going after Valentine! That man is el diablo!"

"Raphael…" Magnus tried to talk, but Raphael didn't let him.

"No, Magnus. You can't be serious about this. And you?" Raphael said, looking at Ragnor. "Why did you decide to join him?" He asked. "That's a suicide mission, Ragnor. Dios mío! What were you thinking?"

"My love-"

"No, don't you even dare to try to justify yourself. I don't want to hear it, as I don't want to hear the part where you say you're here because you're expecting me to join you." Raphael said.

"But you can't let me go all by myself." Ragnor said.

"Don't do that." Raphael said, shaking his head. "You have to understand that going after that man is a mistake. Valentine is unstoppable. Let him go. The boy he took is probably already dead and Magnus has a new ship, he doesn't need the Danube."

"Raphael, please, just listen to the plan, okay?" Magnus said.

"No, Magnus. I won't be part of this craziness. I've risked my neck for you enough times already. I'm not doing it again and that's the end of this discussion."

"We need you." Magnus said.

"Well, qué lástima, but I won't do it. When Ragnor and I decided to-"

"You owe me!" Magnus said, interrupting whatever Raphael was going to say. "I was the one who saved you all those years ago, remember? Or, should we pay your mother a visit? It's been awhile since the last time I saw Guadalupe, how is she, by the way? Does she know what you do for a living because the last time I saw her she thought her son was an honorable merchant."

Alec didn't understand what Magnus was trying to do, but it was clear that the mention of his mother had upset Raphael.

"Magnus, enough." Ragnor said. "Leave this to me, okay?"

Magnus rolled his eyes and huffed to show his disagreement. "Fine."

"No matter what you tell me, Ragnor, I won't go and neither will you. I won't let you die just because this fool thinks he can overthrow the most powerful pirate in all Seven Seas. He's out of his mind if he thinks I'm letting him-"

Ragnor silenced Raphael with a soft kiss. "Let's just go for a drink, okay?"

Raphael rolled his eyes, but nodded, quickly walking away with Ragnor.

"He's not going to help us, is he?" Alec asked. He had been silent throughout the conversation, but it was clear that their arrival hadn't been well received by Raphael.

"Oh, no, he will. Don't worry about that." Magnus said. "Raphael is just the biggest drama queen in existence, but he always ends up going. We've had this same discussion for years and he always goes."

Alec sighed, not so sure if what Magnus was telling him was true. He had noticed how uncomfortable and fearful Raphael was with the idea of facing Valentine.

"Seriously, Alexander." Magnus said. "Don't worry...now tell me, what do you think about the city? Do you like it? Have you been here before?"

Alec shook his head. "I'd never left Alicante before."

"Really?"

"Yes…" Alec admitted.

"Well, then we have to make the most of it. We'll be here for a few hours, so we could get something to eat and then walk around a bit. The town is amazing."

That sudden offer took Alec by surprise. No one, ever, had invited him to just walk around and enjoy a city. He knew Magnus wasn't doing it with any kind of romantic intent, he was just being friendly, but the situation still made Alec feel something strange in the pit of his stomach that he preferred not to think about.

"If you don't want it's fine. We can just go get something to eat, rest for a bit and then get ready to sail again."

"No," Alec said, "I mean, I would like to walk around the city."

"Okay, then let's go to the tavern for some food first. Then we can visit the main square, there's a lot to see there." Magnus said, already walking away.

Alec smiled and with a sigh, followed Magnus. The day was just starting in Cadiz, and although they still had hundreds of things to face and dangerous challenges to overcome; for the first time in over a week, Alec felt...hopeful.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It had been three days since they had left Cadiz, and although many things had changed, there was one thing that remained constant: Raphael's complaints. Raphael Santiago, the new addition to the group, hadn't stopped complaining about the situation in which they were immersed. He had been whining day and night about being virtually dragged into his own grave.

At first Alec had actually sympathized with him because he understood fear and hesitation better than anyone, but after three days of listening to the same song, he had started to lose his patience. He was well aware of the danger they all were in and he certainly didn't need a constant reminder.

In the past few days he had heard all sorts of explanations as to why Raphael couldn't care less about Alec's brother and Magnus's obsession with the Danube, and to this point, the story was just repetitive. There were over three hundred nautical miles separating Cadiz from Cartagena—a three or four day trip by sea—and although they were about to arrive, Raphael still seemed to have no rest about the matter, and Alec had to get away from him, or else he was going to kill him. Well, not really, but at least try to.

Alec's options were limited. There were very few places on the ship where he could hide, there was the storage room and the armory, but he didn't want to be enclosed for hours, so his only other option was the crow's nest. It was the highest point of the ship and used mainly as a lookout point. Men were sent there as punishment, but Alec didn't care. He needed a place where he could get away from all the drama, so he sent down the man Ragnor had assigned there the night before, and took his place.

The day was slipping away and the sun was about to set, so Alec just sat there and pleased with the sudden silence, contemplated what he loved the most in the world: the sea. The color of the water was so dark in that part of the Mediterranean that it was like watching the sun setting on a floating night sky. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't realize that someone was now sitting next to him.

"You mind some company?" Magnus asked.

Alec jumped a bit surprised, but immediately shook his head. He really didn't mind the company. In fact, of all the people in the crew, with Magnus was with whom he felt more comfortable. Deep down he knew he shouldn't, because being comfortable with someone meant trusting them to some extent, but he couldn't help it, despite everything, he liked Magnus.

"Did you really volunteer yourself to be up here?" Magnus asked bemused.

Alec chuckled. "I did...I wanted a place to escape from Raphael." He confessed. "I know he's going to help us and all, but I just can't hear him complaining any longer. He's driving me insane. Is he ever going to stop? Because if not, then I'm going to stay here permanently."

Magnus laughed. "Well, he will shut up about it eventually. That is, when he has something else to do rather than complain."

"Or make fun of you." Alec added. He had noticed how Raphael and Ragnor seemed to particularly enjoy playing the game of _'let's make fun of Magnus in any way we can.'_

"You noticed." Magnus said, and Alec just nodded. "It doesn't bother me—not anymore. I'm kind of used to it at this point. Ever since those two met, they discovered that the one thing they had in common was how much they loved criticizing me, so they've done it ever since."

Alec smiled. "I understand why he doesn't want to be here, I really do. He's afraid of dying or losing Ragnor. This rescue mission is going to costs us many men, but I can't let myself feel guilty about it, you know? At least not until we have rescued my brother and you have your ship back."

"All men here didn't come against their will, Alexander, even Raphael. He's here because he wants to be here. He could have easily convinced Ragnor to stay with him in Cadiz, so don't let his dramatic display fool you. He's just whining because that's what the Santiago do best."

"You mentioned his mother when we arrived to Cadiz, do you know her?"

"Yes, she was the one who asked me to help him more than ten years ago. He was just a dumb teenager who was making all the wrong decisions. He was hanging out with a gang with a really bad reputation, so I showed him a different way."

"You made him a pirate."

"No, I made him a man. He later decided to become one of us." Magnus said. "But anyway, I taught him what his father hadn't taught him and showed him a few of my tricks. I wanted him to become a merchant or something, but well, he eventually found his way to the sea."

"How old is he?" Alec asked curiously. He guessed Raphael had no more than twenty-three, but he could be wrong. When the man spoke he showed more maturity than any other twenty-something man. He sounded like an old man trapped inside a young body.

"Twenty-seven."

"He looks young for his age." Alec said.

"Yeah, but I look younger." Magnus joked. "Come on, let's go." He said.

"Where?"

"To Cartagena." Magnus said. "We reached the coast about an hour ago, but we won't be making port in the city. I don't know if I told you, but Cartagena is a major Clave city, so we'll use one of the long boats to get to the port and avoid getting caught."

"That's why you said Valentine wouldn't dare to set foot here."

"Aye...it's too risky." Magnus said, "Now, let's go! The sun is almost down."

Alec hadn't realized that the sun was almost completely hidden under the horizon. "And, what about the crew?"

"They will stay here waiting for us. We'll go get what we came for and be back here before dawn." Magnus said.

"I-I...yeah, okay, but...why me and not Ragnor or Raphael?"

"First, because you, I can tolerate. When Raphael is in the mood he's been these past days, he can be a real pain in the ass and not the good kind of pain." He said winking, and Alec was very grateful for the lack of light because that last comment had sent some blood to his cheeks. "And I need Ragnor to stay here to make sure the ship is safe, like I said, Cartagena is a city controlled by the Clave, so I think you know what their policy against pirates is."

"Not very friendly." Alec agreed. "So, we're going just the two of us?"

"Yes, it's easier that way. No one will suspect anything if they just see two men, the problem is when we arrive in large groups."

"Okay." Alec nodded. "And, where is the book hidden?"

"In a church, obviously." Magnus said. "In the same church where we found it for the second time, just not where other people can find it. Getting it won't be hard, the real challenge will be to take it with us. Like I told you, the silent brothers are very fond of their books, and it's not going to be the only one we're going to take with us. If we want to find the island, we will need books of history and geography, plus a detailed map. Fortunately for us, they have everything we need."

"We're not going to ask them to give them to us, are we?" Alec asked, although he already knew the answer.

"No, Alexander. We're going to take them without them noticing."

"Steal them." Alec said.

"It's the same."

Alec took a deep breath. It was a bit surprising how easily now he agreed to do bad things. "And, how are we going to do it?"

Magnus winked. "Don't worry, Alexander. I already have a plan." He said, making his way down the crow's nest.

Alec took one last look at the now completely dark landscape and descended too. The faster they got that book, the faster he would know where to find his brother.

o-o-o-o-o

After half an hour of sailing the long boat, Magnus and Alec were ready to make their big entrance to the city. Magnus's plan was easy, they would say to anyone in their paths that pirates had attacked their ship and that unfortunately, they were the last two survivors. Then, they would go to the old church to ask for help and a place to spend the night. If things went as expected, they would wait until the monks were completely asleep to go get the book and the other things they needed.

"Nobody is going to believe us." Alec pointed out. "We look like the pirates who attacked the ship and not the other way around. Plus, you're still wearing your hat. Sailors don't wear hats, only captains."

"Good point." Magnus said. "Then we'll just change a bit the story. We were sailing the Mediterranean when we were ambushed by pirates, you are the brave sailor who fought alongside his captain until the very end. Since I won't hurt myself to provide realism to the lie, we can also pretend that I was already sick and the battle left me on the verge of death." He suggested.

Alec seemed to be meditating the idea. "I'm not good at lying." He confessed.

"Well, neither am I, but we have no other option."

It was obvious in the way that Alec was looking at Magnus that he didn't believe that the pirate wasn't a good liar and Magnus found that offensive. Not all pirates were liars, some were _'omitters'_ of the truth—there was a difference.

"Fine." Alec said.

Magnus skirted the boat until they reached the port and being careful not to draw much attention, they moored it at the far end of one of the docks. They descended and immediately, Magnus put an arm around Alec's shoulders, making the boy jump clearly surprised by the action.

"What are you doing?" Alec asked.

"I'm sick and on the verge of death, remember?" Magnus said. "Now, Alexander, be good and help your poor captain to get to that church. We have to make this believable."

Alec didn't say a word and just started walking toward the church, following Magnus's instructions. It was not far from the shore, but it was well hidden from prying eyes. The silent brothers had always been a very secretive sect and that hadn't changed over the years.

"That's the church." Magnus pointed to a small church. "And that's the monastery." He added. "Since it's late, I guess that the church must be closed, so let's knock on the monastery."

"And, how are we going to get into the church?"

"The monastery and the church are connected, Alexander." Magnus said, approaching the old wooden door. "Ready?"

Alec nodded and knocked the door in a very desperate way. Magnus was surprised for a second, Alec was really trying to get into his role of worried sailor.

"Don't over-" Magnus was saying, but had to close his mouth when the door opened and a tall, old man came out. He was wearing nightclothes and in his hand, he carried a candlelight.

"Buenas noches ¿Qué puedo hacer por ustedes?" He asked in a deep and quite intimidating tone. Magnus was not familiar with the new silent brothers, but they all always had the same look and spoke perfect Spanish.

"I-hmmm," Alec said. "We-"

"Oh, English." The silent brother said. "Don't worry, I speak the language of the British crown. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, thank God! We're here to ask for a place to spend the night." Alec said in a very distressed tone. Magnus was playing his role of disoriented and very sick captain. "Some pirates attacked my captain's ship and left us there to die. We managed to escape, but my captain is very sick and I can't leave him in the cold, he could die. I don't know anyone in town and some people at the docks told me to come here. They said you could help us."

"What happened to him?" The silent brother asked, looking at Magnus with a worried expression.

Magnus faked a coughing fit just for the sake of dramatization.

"We are not sure." Alec lied. He was better at this than he gave himself credit for. "He started to feel sick a few days ago. We were going to see a doctor when we made port in...Valencia, but we never made it. We were attacked even before arriving here. The battle wore him down a lot and I fear for his life."

"Oh, poor you. Those pirates are always destroying everything in their path, but do not worry, here you can stay for the night. Tomorrow we can help you get a doctor for your captain. Please, come inside." The silent brother said, opening the door wide for them to enter.

"Thank you so much, sir." Alec said, still pretending to help Magnus to walk.

"Don't worry, young man." The silent brother said. "You're a good sailor, that much I can tell. I'm sure your captain is very proud of you."

They silently followed the man who led them through the narrow hallways of the monastery until they reached a door located at the end of a very long corridor.

"You can rest in here." The silent brother said. "I'm afraid I can't offer you anything else tonight, but tomorrow you'll both have some food and all the help you can get. Rest assured, men of the sea."

"Thank you." Alec said, helping Magnus to get into bed. "We really appreciate it."

The silent brother gave them one last smile and closed the door behind him. The moment Magnus was sure that the brother couldn't hear them, he started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Blimey, Alexander!" He exclaimed. "You're better at this than you think. I almost thought I was really sick and you were worried about my well-being."

"I feel so bad." Alec said, covering his face with his hands. "The brother was very kind to us, how can we do this to him?"

"Alexander…" Magnus said, approaching the man. He really looked guilty.

"Don't you feel a little bad?" Alec asked.

"No," Magnus said sincerely, "doing these kind of things is part of being a pirate. Sometimes you have to lie and use people for your own good."

"Well, that's selfish."

"Humans are selfish, Alexander," Magnus said, "...even you. You want your brother back, right? And you're doing anything in your power to get him. I hate to break it to you, but that's an act of selfishness."

Magnus saw that Alec was deliberately avoiding his gaze. There wasn't much light in the room, just the moonlight peeking through the window, but still in the dark, Magnus could make Alec's profile perfectly.

"It's not a bad thing," Magnus said, "sometimes you have to be selfish to be selfless."

They stayed in silence for God knows how long until Alec seemed more relaxed. Then Magnus stood up and started to walk around to room trying to find a candle and some matches.

"Aha!" He exclaimed when he found them. "Now, let's go!"

"So soon?" Alec asked surprised. "I thought we would wait a bit more."

"There's no need, Alexander. The Silent Brothers go to bed very, very early. Their days always start before dawn, so we need to hurry. The book is in the church, but the map we need and the other books are here, so we better move. I remember where the main office is, so we will start there. The library must be somewhere there too, so, let's go!"

Magnus lit the single candle he had found and opened the door, carefully making his way out the room with Alec trailing right behind him. They walked in silence through the cold and deserted halls of the monastery until they reached the office.

"This is it." Magnus announced, grabbing the handle and trying to open it, but the door was locked. "Well, shite! It's locked. We'll have to look for the keys."

"Not necessarily." Alec said, kneeling in front of the door and analyzing the lock. "It's a simple lock, with the right amount of force applied to the latch and the deadbolt, the door will open." He said, taking his sword and proceeding to majestically open the door.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Magnus asked very surprised.

"Back home," he said, "my brother taught me."

They entered the room and Magnus immediately pointed to the opposite wall, where a beautiful and very detailed map was hanging.

"That's the map?" Alec asked.

Magnus nodded. "I'll take it down, you check the books." He said. There was a large bookshelf and some books scattered on the desk.

Magnus walked to the wall and took the map, folding it so that they could take it with them.

"Anything useful?" Magnus asked Alec. The boy was checking the books by the desk.

"No," Alec shook his head, "all the books in here are novels."

Magnus approached him. Alec was holding a red book with golden letters. "I used to love that one." Magnus said, recognizing the book. "I was a bit of a romantic back in my teens and that was my favorite." He confessed. "But come on, let's go. We have to look for more books and get to the church. We better hurry."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec was carrying his own weight in books. They had practically ransacked the library and taken with them every book they had considered necessary. Now they were finally on their way to the church and Alec felt more anxious than before. Magnus had said that the book was safe, but Alec still needed to see it with his own eyes to believe it was true. Cartagena could be a city protected by the Clave, but Valentine had been taunting the Clave for years, so until they had the book in their hands, Alec was going to breathe again.

"This must take us to the south transept." Magnus said, when they crossed the last door that would lead them to the church.

The interior of the church, though dimly lit by candles, was very impressive. It wasn't a very large church to be considered a cathedral, but it was large enough to leave Alec breathless.

"Follow me, is over here." Magnus said, walking toward the sanctuary and around the altar.

There were small chapels with saints and angels everywhere. Magnus was walking toward the one on the right side, the one that displayed an angel with folded wings and a sword in his hands.

"Is that?" Alec asked, not quite believing what he was seeing.

"The very same. Raziel meet Alexander, Alexander...Raziel, the Angel of Secrets." Magnus said, moving the statue and revealing a hole under its base.

"It's hidden there!" Alec pointed out.

"Yes," Magnus said, reaching into the hole and pulling out the book, "the Angel is looking after this little gem too."

It was a very old book, with a leather cover and golden letters. It looked worn and damaged by time. Magnus opened it, and Alec realized that its pages were completely yellowed, another effect of time.

"Is that?"

"Yes." Magnus said with a smile. He was flipping through the pages. "Here." He added, pointing to the title of one of the pages. "See? El Tesoro del Ángel…the Angel's Treasure."

Alec couldn't believe his own eyes. It was true. The book was real. Now they only had to translate it to finally know where Valentine was. "Then, let's go!" He exclaimed.

"No, wait." Magnus said, closing the book and putting it safely inside one of the sacks they were carrying. "There's something else I want."

"What?"

Magnus didn't reply and just walked to the altar and took a pair of chalices.

"Really?" Alec asked bemused. This man was so odd.

"What?" Magnus protested. "I always wanted one of these."

Alec rolled his eyes, but said nothing more. He had no time to try to understand the oddities of this man. They had to run if they didn't want to get caught.

"Let's just go, okay?"

Magnus nodded, and together they walked to the north transept of the church where there was a second door that according to Magnus would take them to the back street of the church; the door opened from the inside so there was no need for them to force the lock or anything.

Once outside, they both looked at each other and smiled. They had successfully stolen the book they needed to hunt Valentine, and not only that, but they had gotten a lot of things that would help them locate the island.

"Well, Alexander." Magnus said. "We have to add this little adventure to your list of misdeeds. You stole from your own father, helped a man out of prison, helped steal a ship from the Clave, traveled with fugitive pirates, lied to a silent brother in his own face to break into his sacred monastery and to top it all, you stole from his church. You're a really bad egg."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are, darling, but it's okay. We all are. No judgment here." Magnus said. "Now, come on! We have to reach the Avenger before the sun is out. We don't want the Silent Brothers to notify the Clave of our presence."

"They're going to do it anyway."

"I know, but when they do, you and I, my dear Alexander, will be very, very far away from here."

* * *

 **See you next Tuesday ;) Come say hi on tumblr (links in bio)!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again! It's Tuesday and we have a new chapter, yay! I have some notes so please bear with me. First, I know that you want to know what the text says about the treasure and all, and I promise you will know, but for the sake of the story (and because it's important for upcoming chapters) for now you'll only get bits and pieces. In this chapter there's a whole paragraph and some hits about what the treasure is, but not all, so please have a little patience. Also, there are sentences in Latin and an Indonesian poem. I do not speak any of them so if there are any errors please forgive me. I used google translator ;) I found the poem on the Internet, but I changed it a bit to fit what I wanted, however, if you're curious you can message me and I'll give you the link.**

 **Anyway, hope you like it! Thanks for reading and see you on Friday!**

 **PS: Do you remember what I said about the romance? Well, we're starting, so buckle up because this is going to be a wild ride. ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Magnus, Alec, Ragnor and Raphael had been locked in Magnus's Quarters for who knew how many hours. Since Magnus and Alec had returned from Cartagena, Raphael had been trying to translate lines of the ancient text, but it hadn't been as easy as they had thought it would be. It had turned out that what for years Magnus had thought was simple Latin had proved to be a very old version of it, and it was taking Raphael a lot of time to make sense of the sentences.

It was late and it had been a while since Ragnor and Alec had fallen asleep in their respective spots. Ragnor on the table where he had been sitting next to Raphael, and Alec on the floor, next to the stack of books he had been trying to read in an attempt to help Raphael.

Neither Ragnor nor Alec had intended to fall asleep, but it had happened after hours and hours of listening to nothing but each other's breaths. Raphael liked to work alone and although Magnus could help with the fragments that were in Spanish, the parts they were trying to translate were the ones no one else but him could understand, so they had been forced to wait for Raphael to share with them the lines of the text as he got them.

"I have the last line." Raphael said quietly, mainly not to disturb Ragnor's sleep. Magnus knew the young pirate wasn't very fond of Alec.

"What does it say?" Magnus asked curiously.

 _"Let the Star of Bethlehem to guide your path and you will find both ingress and egress."_ Raphael said, reading the line from the transcript that he had in his hands.

Magnus frowned. The story was as confusing as ever. He had thought that with the new fragments, he would be able to make sense of it, but so far nothing. The story was just getting more and more confusing with every line. The paragraph that Raphael had just translated was a riddle.

"What do we have so far?" Magnus asked.

"Hmmm, if we get rid of all the nonsense he wrote at the beginning about his many travels, we have the part in which he describes the story of the treasure, then the paragraph that I just finished, and then the part that we are going to pretend doesn't exist."

"How much are we missing?"

"Three full paragraphs and a few lines here and there to make sense of the other paragraphs." Raphael said.

Magnus sighed, taking the transcript from Raphael's hand. There were two copies of it, the edited version that Magnus had been writing while Alec was awake and the one Raphael had, which of course, contained the text in its entirety.

"This is such a mess," Magnus said, "all my life I thought the story was confusing because of the mixture between languages, but now I'm certain that it has nothing to do with that and all with the fact that this Jonathan was batshit crazy, mate. He lost his compass...that's for sure."

"Like Valentine…" Raphael said.

"Aye." Magnus agreed, quickly scanning the paper again, and adding the new line to his own version. "It's no wonder why the legends about this treasure are so strange." He added, handing the text back to Raphael. "Are you still very mad at me?"

"For dragging me and my love into our own graves for a stupid ship?"

Magnus nodded.

"I will forgive you eventually...it's not like you forced Ragnor to be here, he volunteered himself, so it's not your fault entirely."

"You know that when the time comes you and Ragnor will be fine. I won't let anything happen to either of you." Magnus said. After all Ragnor and Raphael were two of his best friends—and he didn't have many. Being immortal had its perks, but it was a lonely life. He saw people he loved age and die.

"And him?" Raphael asked, pointing to the man sleeping on the floor.

Magnus looked at Alec and sighed. "I want my ship back." He said in response.

"So you're going to sacrifice him for the Danube." Raphael stated.

Magnus, still with his eyes on Alec, nodded. "Do you see any other option?"

Raphael shook his head. "But maybe there's something here that can give you a different alternative."

"Maybe…" Magnus said, returning his attention to the last paragraph. In theory it described the location of the Island, but it didn't seem like that. _"Fortified by nature and designed to curse anyone who dares to take possession of it, the treasure lies hidden within one of its very forces."_ Magnus read out loud. "Where do you think it is?"

"I have no idea." Raphael admitted. "We know that the forces are the-

"How's it going?" Ragnor asked. He was just waking up.

"I finished the paragraph." Raphael said.

"And?"

"It doesn't make sense." Raphael said. "I could try to move to the next paragraph to see if the description gets more specific, but I need to eat and sleep for a few hours. My brain is melting."

"Go." Magnus said. "You're right, we all need to rest. Get some sleep and we'll continue tomorrow. It's late anyway."

Raphael and Ragnor nodded. Raphael folded the complete transcript and put it safely inside his pocket. "We'll see you tomorrow." He said, taking Ragnor's hand and walking away.

Magnus took a deep breath and after stretching his back, walked over to where Alec was still asleep. He allowed himself a few seconds to just watch him. Alec looked so young when he was asleep, his face was completely relaxed and there was a trace of innocence that was completely mesmerizing. His long dark lashes were barely brushing his pale skin and-

Magnus sighed and shook his head. He knew he couldn't let his ship sail in that direction.

"Alexander, wake up." He whispered, poking him gently.

Alec stirred a bit and opened his eyes. "What happened?"

"You fell asleep," Magnus said, "Raphael and Ragnor went to rest for some hours. We have a whole paragraph, but it still doesn't make any sense."

"Let me see." Alec said, standing up quickly.

Magnus handed Alec his version of the text. "See? The last lines Raphael translated after you fell asleep are these ones."

 _"That who is worthy of the love of God is worthy of this treasure and must look inside his mouth to find its possession. Let the Star of Bethlehem to guide your path and you will find both ingress and egress."_ Alec read out loud. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know, but we will figure it out. Now go to your cabin and get some rest, we will continue tomorrow."

"Okay, yeah…" Alec nodded, "can I take this?"

"Sure," Magnus said, "but the original book stays here...it's safer here."

"Yeah...I can't read it anyway." Alec shrugged.

"Sleep tight, Alexander." Magnus said.

"You too."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec was in his cabin really trying to get some sleep, but his mind just wouldn't shut up. The long nap he had taken had left him with enough energy to keep going, and he had to keep going. He couldn't just sit still and do nothing. He had to help his brother and for that they had to find the island where the treasure and Valentine were. He took the transcript that Magnus had given him and reread for the millionth time what they had managed to translate so far.

The first part was just an account of Jonathan's travels, so he skipped it. The following paragraph described the story of the treasure and why Raziel had decided to hide it in the mortal world. If Alec was honest, the whole story sounded like a children's tale. _Angels being cast out of heaven and powerful forces contained in inanimate objects?_ Yeah, it sounded too much like a story straight out of fiction, but Alec knew it was real—way too real. People had died for it. Besides, he couldn't put aside the fact that at some point, many years ago, his father had seen the treasure with his own eyes, so he continued reading.

 _"To his eternal relief, and after roaming the mortal world for years, Raziel finally stumbled across the rightful place to hide his secret. Fortified by nature and designed to curse anyone who dares to take possession of it, the treasure lies hidden within one of its very forces."_ He read out loud. _"The combination of the other two are the key that the Angel gives to those whose intentions are noble."_

This was, perhaps, the most important paragraph that they had managed to translate. According to what they knew, it was the one that described the location of the island. It wasn't written with exact words, but they knew they would have to find the answers within those lines.

" _That who is worthy of the love of God is worthy of this treasure and must look inside his mouth to find its possession. Let the Star of Bethlehem to guide your path and you'll find both ingress and egress."_

Alec took from inside his shirt a folded piece of parchment. He had hidden it there to keep it safe. When he and Magnus had returned from Cartagena, Alec had seized the few moments that he had had the book to himself—while Magnus gave the men a new course and called Ragnor and Raphael—to copy the original text and make his own research. He hadn't managed to copy it all, only the first few paragraphs, but at least it was something.

He put the two texts together and started to compare them, trying to understand how words work in those foreign languages that intrigued him so much, but it was impossible. The words were complex and very difficult to read, so he just sighed and made a mental note to try to learn them someday. His sister spoke Spanish, so maybe she could teach him when he got back.

"If I manage to get back." He whispered.

He knew that dying trying to help Jace was a huge possibility and that was why he had tried not to think too much about his family. They were always on his mind, that was inevitable, but he had tried not to let those thoughts to distract him from what he had to do.

However, late at night, when he found it impossible to fall asleep like at that very moment, he wondered what they were doing, how they had reacted after hearing that Alec had helped Magnus—a pirate—to get out of prison. He thought of his mother, Maryse, wondering if she knew who her husband really was or if she had been deceived all her life too. He thought about his sister, hoping that her fiance, Simon, was with her to keep her company. And he thought of his little brother Max. If he were there with him, he would be trying to help solve the riddle Alec had before him. Max was a very smart kid, skilled with books and very perceptive. He tended to see things others didn't and-

Alec looked at the two texts again. The copy of the original text that he had made was different from the transcript; in the penultimate sentence of the last paragraph that he had managed to copy, he had written a couple of words in capital letters. He didn't know if it was a mistake or part of the original text, so he compared it again with the translation that Magnus had given him.

According to Raphael, the line in Latin: _'Quod notatu dignum est dignus amore Dei respicere debent thesaurum invenire Ore Dei possidebunt.'_ was translated into: _'That who is worthy of the love of God is worthy of this treasure and must look inside his mouth to find its possession.'_

It didn't make any sense unless-

"Unless…." He said out loud, quickly putting on his boots and running from his cabin with excitement.

He had a good feeling about that part, but he needed to see the original text before jumping into conclusions, so he knocked on Magnus's door although he knew that the pirate was asleep. He had left his quarters a couple of hours ago.

"Sorry to wake you." Alec said the minute Magnus opened the door. He was still half asleep and was looking at Alec with a disoriented expression on his face. "I found something strange about the treasure, but I need to see the original text before jumping to any conclusion. It's here, so…"

Magnus didn't say a word and just moved from the door letting him in.

"You should be sleeping." Magnus said, walking toward the desk and taking the book from the drawer.

"I couldn't." Alec said. "I tried, but I still had energy."

Magnus handed him the book. Alec immediately flipped through its pages to get to the part of the treasure. His eyes fixed on the part he had been looking for.

The words he had seen in his copy were in capital letters as well.

"I know what the name of the island is." He said.

"What!?" Magnus asked, fully awake this time.

"Look at this line." Alec pointed to the words. _"'Quod notatu dignum est dignus amore Dei respicere debent thesaurum invenire Ore Dei possidebunt.'_ Dei is God, and Ore Dei it's written with capital letters, when Raphael translated it to English he omitted that detail that's why it didn't make sense, but if you read it with both words capitalized, then it could mean that the island's name is Ore Dei—God's Mouth...His Mouth."

 _"T_ _hat who is worthy of the love of God is worthy of this treasure and must look inside His Mouth to find its possession."_ Magnus read out loud.

"I'm not crazy, am I?" Alec asked.

"No! You're brilliant!" Magnus exclaimed. He was looking back and forth between the transcript that Alec had in his hand and the original text. "And, how did you find that?"

"I-I...I copied the original text to see if I could help you all with something." Alec confessed, showing Magnus the few paragraphs that he had copied. "I actually just have what we have so far, that's why I was able to notice it. I was trying to understand the words and that's when I realized that I had copied those words differently, so…"

Magnus was looking at him with a weird expression on his face.

"What?"

"Nothing...well, this is great, Alexander. Now we just have to find where the bloody island is, but at least now we have a name."

"And maybe in some of the other notes in the book Jonathan says something about the island." Alec suggested

"That seems very likely."

"Then, let's wake the others!" Alec exclaimed excitedly. Every time they found something, he felt closer to finding his brother.

"Alexander…" Magnus said, "we need to rest, we all need to rest, including you."

"Magnus I can't go back to sleep now that we found something useful. I've been unable to help in anything since we left Cartagena, and I need to feel like I'm doing something." Alec said. He really wanted to keep looking, to see if something about the island appeared in any of the books they had at their disposal. "Would you mind if I stay here reading? I promise not to make any noise. You won't even notice I'm here. I just want to keep looking to see if I can find something in the books or on the map."

"Be my guest," Magnus pointed to the desk, "but I'm going back to sleep."

"Yes, go rest. I promise not to disturb you." Alec said, watching Magnus walk toward his bed.

The pirate was taking off his shirt and Alec felt as if suddenly the air in the room just wasn't enough. In the dim light provided only by two candles, he could see Magnus's well-toned abdomen. Alec had guessed that Magnus was in great shape since all his clothes were very...revealing, but seeing what was hidden under all those layers was another story. Alec could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks, so he turned around abruptly.

"I don't mind if you look." Magnus said from his bed.

"I wasn't." Alec said, trying not to think too much about how he had sounded, because even his voice was affected by Magnus's half nakedness.

Fortunately Magnus didn't say anything else and just went to sleep. Alec took a very deep breath and trying to erase the image of a shirtless Magnus from his head, he started to work. After all, he had a unfindable island to find.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn't. He was rolling to both sides of the bed trying to find a comfortable position, but it was as if suddenly his bed were made of stone. He turned and turned and turned and couldn't sleep. His body was tired but his mind refused to shut down; his eyes—the ones he had forced himself to close—kept betraying him, opening occasionally just to look into Alec's direction.

The boy was completely focused opening books, looking at the map and writing things down. He looked so concentrated that Magnus couldn't help but smile. Alec was a man with the drive of a whole crew. He was determined, brave and as Magnus had stated before, very, very intelligent.

The minutes passed, and Magnus, still from his position in bed, couldn't help but notice little things that Alec did when he was so engrossed in something. Like how he scrunched his nose when he found something he didn't understand, or how he constantly had to brush his hair away from his face because it got in the way between his eyes and the books he was trying to devour.

Magnus exhaled. _How was he going to exchange him for the Danube?_ He knew that if he left Alec with Valentine, the pirate would kill him eventually, but he had no choice. He had to do it if he wanted his ship back, it was the only way.

 _"Maybe Raphael is right."_ Magnus thought. _"And there's something in the parts we have yet to translate that can help me-"_

 _"No, what are you doing!?"_ He berated himself in the back of his mind. _"You're caring about the boy and you can't! You can't!"_ He told to himself, trying to close his eyes and go back to sleep.

But his mind kept taking him back to the first time he had seen Alec in the square in Alicante, to the day the boy had helped him out of prison, to the day when in an attempt to protect his father's honor he had tried to kill him; to their time in the Spiral, to their little stroll in Cadiz, to their perfect adventure in Cartagena. There was a memory of Alec in every day since they had met and Magnus hated that.

He hated it because he was starting to feel guilty, something that had not happened before. Every time he recalled one of those moments all he could see in Alec's eyes was trust, and Magnus knew he was not worthy of such thing. Alec didn't do it on purpose, of course, it was in his nature. Alec was one of those men who had a blind faith in humanity—and that was either a blessing or a curse.

 _"A blessing for him and a curse for me."_ Magnus thought, because that was the crux of the matter. He didn't want to lose his ship, but he also didn't want to betray Alec, so to achieve both he would have to find a way to trick Valentine into some sort of trap and get his ship and the infamous brother back, and all without Alec finding out the truth.

 _"What a mess!"_ He thought, sighing and standing up from bed.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Alec asked.

"No, I can't sleep." Magnus said, putting back his shirt. "Apparently, your insomnia is contagious. You mind if I help you?"

Alec shook his head.

"What do you have so far?"

"Not much." Alec said. "I thought it would be useful to narrow the islands on the map. The book was written a long time ago, so the name has probably changed. We have to look in poems, songs...that sort of thing to see if we can find some reference of the island."

"Clever." Magnus pointed out. "What do you want me to do?"

"Maybe help me with this?" Alec said, getting closer to Magnus. "I was trying to read this poem, but I don't even know what language it is."

Magnus stared at the words and his heart made a flip. "It's Indonesian."

"Oh."

"Here…" Magnus said, pointing to the first line. _"Bunga, malam, dan kota-kota tersisip antara yang sengaja dikenang._ It would translate into something like, flowers, night, towns and cities slip in between things one wishes to remember. Then, _merata, seperti kata-kata di hari senja meskisemakin menjurang ruang antara uscapan yang bertumbukan,_ would be, spread out, like words at dusk, a deepening gulf between conflicting utterances."

Magnus continued with the poem, translating as best as he could the lines that this unknown author had so beautifully written, but he stopped when he noticed how Alec was looking at him.

"What?" He asked curiously.

"Hmmm, nothing...hmmm, just continue." Alec said, fidgeting with his hair.

Magnus smiled to himself and read the last lines of the poem. _"Yang tidak terucapkan, lebih berarti._ We remain silent. There has always been more meaning in what's left unspoken. _Aku cinta kamu."_ He finished.

"What does that last part mean?"

"I love you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! It's Friday and I'm back with a new chapter! Today I don't have much to say, just that I hope you like it. It's a light chapter, just to make it more clear that there's something going on between Magnus and Alec (dah!). I wanted a chapter where we could see the opinions they both have of each other before other things start to happen lol so yeah, hope you like it. See you on Tuesday!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

After Alec's discovery, the research on the location of the island had reached an impasse. They had been reading for days and still there was no sign of the island. They had even planned a route across the Atlantic in search of patches of land, but they hadn't found anything useful and the situation was starting to frustrate them.

"Okay, enough! Everybody out!" Magnus exclaimed, slamming on the table the book he had been reading for the past few hours. "We've been locked in here for days! We need air! Come on! Out!"

Raphael and Ragnor didn't hesitate and immediately stood from their respective chairs and headed out. Alec, however, remained where he was.

"Come on, Alexander!" Magnus said, practically dragging the boy by the arm. "We need to clear our heads. This obsession is leading us nowhere. Come on! Out!"

Alec snorted, but stood up, following Magnus outside.

"See? Fresh air!" Magnus exclaimed, letting the sea breeze and the sunlight help him relax. "Nothing like a beautiful day at sea to make it all better." He said, though Alec wasn't listening anymore, he was sitting on top of a barrel with a book in his hands.

"Oh, no, Alexander!" Magnus exclaimed, taking the book from Alec's hand. "I said enough of this. I know you want to keep looking, but obsessing with it isn't going to help us much. You need to rest and that's an order."

"You're not my father."

"No, but I'm your captain and you must obey my orders."

"Or what? Are you going to make me walk the plank?" Alec asked. It was clear he was not in a very good mood—none of them were.

"No, I'm going to lock you up in one of the cells and exclude you from this investigation." Magnus said simply. He knew Alec's bad mood was because he was as frustrated as all of them were.

"You can't do that!" Alec protested.

"Watch me."

Alec rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly, clearly showing his discomfort.

"Really, Alexander." Magnus said. "After we have cleared our heads, we will be more productive, believe me."

"If you say so."

"Come…" Magnus said, motioning Alec to follow him. He wanted to take over the helm of the ship. They didn't have an specific course yet, but he just needed to be behind the wheel. "It's time for me to take my rightful place again."

Alec sighed but followed Magnus.

Magnus immediately sent the man who Ragnor had put in charge of keeping the ship on course back to his old tasks and took over the helm, feeling complete almost immediately. He and the helm were one when they were together. Whenever Magnus was behind it, he felt as if nothing could go wrong.

"Oh, how I've missed this!" Magnus exclaimed, exhaling loudly and filling his lungs with fresh morning air. "Doing research is fun, but this is what I love."

Alec only let a tiny smile escape from his lips.

"Anyway, it seems that I'm doing all the talking and we're here to clear our heads, so tell me a story about your family, Alexander."

"A story?" Alec asked confused.

"Aye, a story. It can be whatever you want."

"Hmmm, I don't know." Alec hesitated. "We are a very boring family. We don't have adventures or anything."

"I sincerely doubt that," Magnus said, "besides James, you have a little brother and a sister, right? Tell me about them."

"Their names are Max and Isabelle, although we call my sister Izzy for short." Alec said. Talking about his family seemed to have improved his mood considerably. "Max is eleven and well, he likes to do what kids his age like to do. He's always getting in trouble, not as much as Jace used to do when he was his age, since Max is very smart, but sometimes he tends to be quite a headache. He's very perceptive and loves to read stories. He has a great imagination. He's all day coming up with these stories in which he's always the hero and saves the world."

"He sounds charming." Magnus said. "What about your sister?"

"Izzy is like my best friend," Alec confessed, "we disagree on everything, but I wouldn't change her for anything in the world. She's brave, smart and very pretty. I think every boy in town is in love with her somehow. She's currently engaged to a guy who managed to get my father's approval. Don't ask me how that happened, but it did, and thank God for that because her last boyfriend, some guy named Meliorn, was a real jerk. He didn't treat her as she deserved, but fortunately, she found Simon. And she looks happy with him."

"So this Salmon is your soon to be brother in-law?"

"Simon...and yeah, but I don't mind, I kind of like him. He's weird most of the time, but he's completely devoted to my sister, so I'm okay with him being part of the family."

Magnus smiled. It was evident in the way Alec had talked about his siblings that he loved them very much. He talked about them with such pride and affection that it wasn't hard for Magnus to see that the three of them, Jason, Isabelle and Max were Alec's reason for doing what he was doing.

"And what about you?" Alec asked.

"What?" Magnus asked back distractedly.

"What about your family?"

"You already know what there was to know about them." Magnus said, thinking of ways to change the subject. He didn't like to talk about his parents much.

"But I shared something, you have to share something too."

Magnus meditated for a second. "Did I ever tell you how I got the Danube?"

Alec shook his head.

"Poseidon himself built it for me."

"The God of the Sea?" Alec asked incredulously. "Yeah, right."

"You don't believe me?"

Alec shook his head again.

"I'm not lying, Alexander. In fact, as surprising as you may find this, I do not tend to do that very often—lie. And believe it or not, the Blue Danube was a gift from the God of the Sea himself." Magnus said. "It happened a long time ago, I was near the coasts of England trying to get hold of a ship. I had just found the Fountain, but I didn't own a ship. You see...until then I hadn't been more than a cabin boy."

"If you didn't have a ship, then, how did you find the Fountain?"

"That was an accident, but I'll share that story another day." Magnus said. "As I was saying, I was just a cabin boy, but I wanted to be a captain, so I asked around and that was when a man told me that there was a ship that was recruiting. I signed up for the sole purpose of organizing a mutiny and take possession of the ship, but when we were on our third day at sea, tragedy struck us."

"What happened?"

"The captain was obsessed with mermaids and he wanted to capture one for himself. I don't know if you're familiar with the stories that people share about these creatures, but they are all true. They have beauty like no other being in this world, but they are lethal—deadly creatures. Anyway, there's a bay on the coasts of Ireland where mermaids usually gather and-"

"Wait, you're not kidding? Are we talking about real mermaids, with tails and all?"

"Yes, tails, long hair, beautiful singing voices." Magnus said. "But let me continue...my captain decided to send us there to capture them, but it was a mortal trap, Alexander. Mermaids aren't very friendly, so when they saw us approaching, they attacked. Many men died that day, my captain included, but I survived. I managed to swim all the way to the shore and that was when I saw her."

"Her?"

"There was a mermaid trapped in one of nets that we had thrown in an attempt to capture them." Magnus said. "So I released her and healed her—she had injured herself while trying to escape. I made some sort of small pool with rocks and held her there until she was in better condition. On the third night there, her father, who turned out to be Triton, son of Poseidon, appeared. He tried to kill me, of course, thinking that I had captured her, but she told him what I had done for her and he spared my life before parting with her. The next day, Poseidon appeared and offered me a gift for what I had done for his granddaughter."

"So you asked for the ship?"

"Aye, I told him I wanted a ship, the fastest ship in all Seven Seas, so he put his hands over the water and from the waves the Blue Danube emerged. Poseidon appointed me captain and since then I have sailed the seas with it, well, until Valentine stole it from me, of course."

"Don't worry, we will get it back." Alec said. He looked more relaxed than before, he was leaning on the railings just looking at the sea while listening to Magnus's story.

"I know, Alexander...I know."

o-o-o-o-o

It was getting late and the sun was starting to set. Alec and Magnus had been talking all day, sharing stories; Magnus about his many adventures as a pirate and Alec about his life back in Alicante. They had shared a lot of stuff, silly stuff, random stuff, but nothing too personal. Alec had noticed how Magnus deliberately avoided sharing anything that might reveal some detail of his personal life.

Alec didn't mind it, though. He was no one to force Magnus to share what he didn't want, but he had to admit that the mystery intrigued him. Magnus intrigued him. The pirate was a map that Alec was learning to read, and he liked it. He would never admit that out loud, but he really liked him. Magnus wasn't only the famous pirate, discoverer of the Fountain of Youth, he was also a man, an intelligent man with a great sense of humor that despite what others might think, had a good heart.

Or at least that was what Alec had gathered with all the stories he had heard not only that day, but since they had met. Magnus didn't seem to notice, but all he had done over the years hadn't been for his own benefit as he claimed. All his stories involved the pirate helping or saving someone in some way. He never acted out of selfishness, and although he said otherwise, Alec could see beyond the facade. Magnus could be a pirate with a past of crimes that could send any man to the gallows, but he wasn't a bad man. Underneath all that flamboyant personality there was a man of noble feelings and good heart.

"Come on, it's time for dinner." Magnus said, snapping Alec out of his thoughts.

He had been so immersed analyzing the pirate that he hadn't even noticed that the crew had set a bunch of tables on the main deck and were already eating.

Alec was starting to make his way down the stairs to join the crew when Magnus stopped him. "We won't be joining them tonight." Magnus said, pointing to the poop deck, where another table had been set. Ragnor and Raphael were already there. "I thought we could spare the crew of all our theories about the treasure."

"Okay…" Alec said, following the pirate to the upper deck.

"Please, please join us." Ragnor said, scooting two chairs for Magnus and Alec to sit. "Tonight's menu is the same from yesterday, so you better not complain. Our cook isn't the best, but he was the only one who volunteered to this, how was your description, my love? Oh, yeah, suicide mission."

"My dear Prince, always so wise with your comments." Magnus said, taking a seat.

Alec sat down too and immediately, they all began to eat. The food wasn't the best, but when you were hungry all was considered a delicacy—and Alec was very hungry. They hadn't been eating properly for days. Their minds had been focused entirely on finding the island, so it was really nice for a change to simply enjoy a day off.

Alec was thankful that Magnus had practically forced him to take a break. He hadn't realized how much he had needed a good rest until now that he was sitting on the poop deck with Magnus, Ragnor and Raphael, enjoying a meal while the crew had some fun.

"What are they playing?" Alec asked. He had been observing the crew and they all seemed to be very engaged in some dice game, but Alec couldn't understand how it was played.

"Liar's dice." Magnus said. "It's a silly game of chance and deception created so that people lose everything and win nothing."

"You say that, my friend," Ragnor said, "because you're a terrible, terrible liar and you can never win."

"What are the rules?" Alec asked intrigued.

"The main goal of the game is to expose all the other players as liars." Ragnor said.

"How?"

"You make bets trying to guess how many dice of what face will appear on the table, including yours." Ragnor said, but Alec wasn't following him.

"Each player gets five dice and a cup to prevent other players from snooping," Raphael intervened, trying to explain the game, "when the game starts all the players shake their cups and place them on top of the table without showing their dice. Before bids begin, each player is allowed to look at their own dice to see what numbers they rolled. Then, the game starts and someone makes the first bid. The goal is to eliminate all the other players and their dice until one wins. You achieve that by challenging the previous bid maker and calling him a liar, meaning that you think there are less dice on the table than what he said. Are you following me?"

Alec nodded.

"Once you call someone a liar all players must reveal their dice," Raphael continued, "if the bid was correct, the challenging player loses. If the challenger was correct and the previous bid maker was bluffing, then the challenging player wins and the challenged player loses a dice. You eliminate a player when they have no dice left to play. Bids must be a same or higher quantity of a higher face, or a higher quantity of any face. For example, if the first bid was 'four sixes,' then the next bid would have to be at least 'four sevens,'—same quantity, higher face. Or, 'five sevens,'—higher quantity, higher face. Or, 'five threes,'—higher quantity, any face. I know it's sounds complicated but it's not."

Alec shook his head because he didn't think it sounded that complicated, he had understood completely. "And, what do they bet?"

"What we have in our possession, gold, food, rum." Ragnor said.

Alec smiled. The game looked entertaining.

"You don't want to play, do you?" Magnus asked.

"It sounds like fun." Alec confessed.

"It is!" Ragnor exclaimed. "Especially if you're good at lying, are you good at lying, Alec?" He inquired.

Alec shook his head.

"But you're good at deceiving," Magnus intervened, "you put on quite a show in Cartagena."

Alec blushed.

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling that you would be good at that game." Magnus added.

"Maybe one day I'll join the crew." Alec said with a smile. "We'll see, but until then, let's get back to work! We have an island to find."

o-o-o-o-o

If there was something that Magnus had discovered during these past few hours, was that even though he had tried to avoid it, he was drawn to Alec like waves to the seashore. It was inevitable, there was something about him that had unlocked something in Magnus, something that until they had met, he hadn't even known it was locked.

They were back in Magnus's quarters, trying, as they had been doing, to find the bloody island. Ragnor and Raphael were looking for clues in Jonathan's stories while he and Alec were looking around the rest of the books. So far, the search had been unsuccessful. They had only found useless stuff, but after their break Alec had been so positive that they were going to find something that it was hard not to believe him.

"...so maybe in the Bible." Alec was saying, when Magnus payed attention to the conversation again. He had been distracted trying to determine which color best described Alec's eyes.

"What?"

"I was telling you that, since this island has literally God's name in it, maybe we could find something in the Bible. I can't believe we were in a church and we didn't think about stealing one."

"There was no need to bring one with us, Alexander." Magnus said. "There's already one in the ship."

"You have a Bible?" Alec asked quite surprised, as if the mere idea of Magnus having a Bible were improper.

"I'm not liking that tone of surprise, Alexander. Should I remind you that I was raised by monks? I know the Bible well enough, but no, I do not have one, but he does." Magnus said, pointing at Raphael.

"I'm not letting you touch my Bible, Bane." Raphael said. Apparently, he had been listening to the whole conversation.

"And, what about me?" Alec asked hopefully.

"You're no better than him, you lied to a monk to steal from them."

"But it was his idea!" Alec complained, pointing at Magnus with an accusatory finger.

"I don't care whose idea it was, neither of you are going to touch my Bible." Raphael said.

"But we need it, Raphael." Magnus said. "Maybe there's something there about the island."

"There's nothing there, I'm telling you. I know it by heart and that island is not mentioned there."

"I believe you, but it wouldn't hurt to take a look, would it?" Magnus said, trying to convince his friend.

"Fine, but you'll do it in front of me. I don't trust either of you. You," Raphael said pointing at Alec, "because I don't know you, and you, because I know you too well."

"Yes, yes, don't trust us, just lend us your Bible." Magnus said, motioning Alec to sit beside him on the table.

"I have a question." Ragnor said all of a sudden. He had remained silent for the past hour or so. "I've been reading this nonsense until my eyes hurt and there's nothing here about the exact location of the treasure. I mean, if we managed to find the island, then we would have to look for the treasure to know where Valentine is, right? I don't think the island is as small as the Spiral, you wouldn't name an island the mouth of God if it were small. It must be at least twice as big so, how are we going to find it?"

"We will sink that ship when he have to." Magnus said. He knew that Ragnor had made a valid point, but first they had to find the island. It wasn't healthy to worry about the exact location of the treasure if they didn't even know where the island was.

"Fine, I just thought we should take that into account, you know, because that's going to be a problem too."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Noted." He said, returning his attention to Alec, who was just starting to read the first page of the Bible. "You're not expecting us to read the whole thing, are you?"

"Do you see any other option?" Alec said.

"Yes, forget about this and stick to the vaguely illustrated books we have. They are easier to read."

"Come on, Magnus! It's just the Bible, didn't you say you knew it well enough? I'm sure you've read it at least once."

"Well, yeah, but like a long, long time ago, dear."

"Coward." Ragnor said mockingly.

"I'm not a coward, I just think this is a waste of time. If Raphael says that there's nothing there about the island, then I believe him, unlike him, I do trust my friends."

"And then you say that I am the melodramatic one." Ragnor said, suppressing a smile. "Just read it, Magnus, it can even help you score some points up there, you know? For when the time comes."

"My dear Prince, you know that no matter what I do, I'll end up in the underworld." Magnus said. "My soul cannot be saved. No amount of points will save me from going to hell. I'm a pirate, mate."

Ragnor and Raphael laughed, but Alec didn't. He was just looking at Magnus with an expression that the pirate didn't know how to decipher. "What?" Magnus inquired.

"Why are you saying that?"

"What?"

"That you'll end up in hell."

"Because it's true, Alexander."

"No, it's not." Alec stated sure of himself. "The fact that you're a pirate doesn't make you a bad person."

"What?" Magnus asked just to make sure he had heard correctly.

"Not all pirates are bad." Alec said. "You're not bad...I mean, you've committed crimes and all, but you're not a bad person. I know you're a good man."

Magnus tried to laugh at the sudden compliment, like Raphael and Ragnor seemed to be doing, but he couldn't. What Alec had just said had touched him deeply. And even though he was not sure if he deserved the praise, he was grateful that his skin had the right tone to hide those uncontrollable accumulations of blood, because after more than 108 years, give or take, Magnus Bane, immortal pirate and once captain of the world's fastest ship, had blushed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello again! Here's the new chapter! I hope you really like it. We are slowly getting there, so get ready for all the malec ;) Reviews, follows and faves are highly appreciated.**

 **Btw, know that I've read all your reviews and they make me very happy! Keep doing it! I promise to reply to all of you soon!**

 **See you on Friday!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

Alec was trying to read—again—what they had about the treasure so far. He knew all the paragraphs by heart since he had been reading them all day every day, but he was still giving it another go. There were some missing lines in the last paragraph that Raphael was still trying to translate, but even so the text didn't make much sense. It was as if something crucial was missing.

 _"Well, the location."_ He thought, because it was true. The text said something about looking for the treasure in God's Mouth, and they knew the island's name was literally that, God's Mouth, _Ore Dei_ in Latin, but they had found no reference to that name anywhere. _Where was God's Mouth?_ Only He knew.

 _"That who is worthy of the love of God is worthy of this treasure and must look inside His Mouth to find its possession."_ Alec read to himself.

It was hard to concentrate with the heated discussion that Magnus and Raphael were having. They seemed to be fighting over something that had happened many years ago because Alec wasn't understanding anything, but he knew it was not serious because Ragnor seemed very calm. He was singing a ballad to himself as he flipped through the pages of a book.

 _"Let the Star of Bethlehem to guide your path and you'll find both ingress and egress."_ Alec continued reading.

That part had always confused him because most of the texts that they had found made references to Polaris, the North Star, when it came to celestial navigation, but not this one. When they had read it for the first time Ragnor had suggested that perhaps the star indicated a place like Jerusalem—because of the biblical reference—but it didn't make sense with the context, so they had taken it as a mere expression of following your path to the promised land: for them God's Mouth—the island. But it didn't make sense, the text clearly said that the star must guide the path so the one who was worthy of the treasure could find ingress and egress.

"Oh, my God!" Alec exclaimed out loud, when the dots on his head finally connected.

"What happened?" Ragnor asked intrigued. Magnus and Raphael had finally stopped arguing.

"The star of Bethlehem." Alec said, as a matter of explanation. "It guided the wise men to the King of the Jews."

"Yes, and?" Raphael inquired. "We already ruled out Jerusalem."

Alec shook his head and grabbed Raphael's Bible even though he knew that the man didn't like it when someone else touched his sacred book. "In Matthew's," Alec said, flipping through the pages, "there are several references to the star."

"Yes," Raphael agreed, "Verse two and-"

Alec interrupted him, reading out loud. _"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him."_

It made perfect sense for Alec, but apparently not for the rest of his companions, because Magnus, Raphael and Ragnor were looking at each other with confusion evident on their faces.

"Don't you see?" Alec asked incredulously. It was crystal clear.

"No?"

"There's little to no information about this star, all we know is that it appeared in December, when the King of the Jews was born." Alec explained. "Why do you think Jonathan decided to use the Star of Bethlehem as a navigational guide when most sailors use Polaris? Because he's indicating a time of the year and not a place." Alec said quite content with his new discovery.

Ragnor and Raphael still seemed to be very confused, but Magnus was looking at him with wide eyes.

 _"Let the Star of Bethlehem to guide your path and you'll find both ingress and egress."_ Magnus repeated the line. He knew it by heart too.

"It's a blowhole." Alec said as a matter of explanation. "The access to the place where the treasure is hidden is a blowhole."

Magnus, who looked as if he had just found the Holy Grail, started to nod. "The tide in December drops so low…"

"Due to the winter solstice." Alec complemented Magnus's sentence.

"...that it exposes the mouth of the blowhole."

"Which is usually about twenty or thirty feet underwater." Alec said. "Jonathan's text says: _'Fortified by nature and designed to curse anyone who dares to take possession of it, the treasure lies hidden within one of its very forces.'"_

Magnus smiled. "Nature…so two or three days out of the year, this place is a cave, the others is a deathtrap."

Alec nodded, pleased that Magnus had understood what he had tried to explain.

"Alexander!" Magnus exclaimed, rushing to give Alec a congratulatory hug. "You just found where the treasure is!"

"I know!" Alec exclaimed, feeling a bit awkward because of the enthusiasm that Magnus had displayed. "Also, if the place where the treasure is hidden can only be seen in December and for a couple of days that means my brother is still alive! I don't think Valentine would want to kill him before he needs to, right? We still have a couple of weeks!"

"I think you're right about that too." Magnus agreed, and Alec smiled.

He felt so happy with that discovery that he felt his heart making all kinds of somersaults in his chest. From day one, he had been worried about whether it was too late to save Jace and now he finally had solid proof that his brother was still alive. Valentine needed him to break the curse and for that to happen he would have to wait until the winter solstice, which gave Alec three more weeks.

"Okay, okay, that's all very exciting and everything," Raphael said, "but we still don't know where the island is. The location of the treasure is not something we can use, right? What's the point of knowing where it is if we can't find the island, huh?"

Alec sighed. Raphael was right, but he couldn't help getting excited. It was the only useful thing they had found in weeks.

"Why don't you and Ragnor take a break?" Magnus suggested. He was giving them some killing eyes.

"Fine." Raphael said, walking with Ragnor out of Magnus's quarters.

"He's right, though." Alec admitted.

"I know, but he doesn't have to pop the bubble right away. We found, well, you found something useful, he should be celebrating. The location of the treasure was a problem that we would have to face eventually and you just solved it. You should be proud of yourself...as your captain, I am."

Alec blushed. Nobody had ever told him that they were proud of him. Well, only his family, but they didn't count, they were supposed to be proud of Alec by default.

"What do you say if we also take a break? Now that we have new information, we should be able to see things differently, but we have to clear our minds before diving again into those books."

Alec just nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment.

"Good, then I'll order some food. I'll be right back." Magnus said, walking away and leaving Alec standing there, questioning himself as to why he had felt the way he had felt when the pirate had said he was proud of him.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus had been observing Alec since they had started to eat and had found curious that the boy just couldn't stop smiling. Certainly the news that his brother was still alive had made him extremely happy. He was laughing and talking animatedly, something that very rarely happened. Alec was generally more reserved, shy, but every now and then, he showed this side of him that was the complete opposite, and Magnus felt like sailing directly into the eye of a maelstrom, those powerful vortices that could sink a ship in the blink of an eye.

"Where are you going?" Magnus asked, when he noticed that Alec had stood from his chair and was making his way out of the cabin.

"I'll be right back."

Magnus frowned, but did not speak as he watched the boy leave. He hadn't heard the last thing that Alec had said, so he had no idea what he was up to.

He waited a couple of minutes until Alec came back. He was still wearing that huge smile that he had had since they had found the location of the treasure, but there was something else in there...a playful look or something.

"Why the mischievous look, Alexander?" Magnus questioned, quirking a brow to emphasize how curious he was.

"I challenge you to play." Alec said, slamming two cups with dice on the table. "And since none of us have anything to pay, we'll pay with secrets."

"What?" Magnus asked, just to make sure he had heard correctly.

"You heard me, whoever loses will have to reveal something that nobody else knows." Alec said. "So if you want to keep your secrets well hidden then you better win."

Magnus smiled. He knew that by agreeing to play this game he was walking into his own grave, because he was bad at it, but he couldn't find in him the will to say no to Alec.

"Fine, but let's raise the stakes a little, Alexander."

"How?"

"With rum. The one who loses has to take a shot of rum before sharing a secret...deal?" Magnus said. He knew that adding that new rule to the game made it even more dangerous because alcohol could make him say things that were better if he kept them to himself, but he hadn't thought much before opening his mouth. Alec's mischievous look had him hypnotized. Besides, he was hoping that Alec's lack of experience with strong beverages work in his favor.

"Deal." Alec said, shaking his dice and giving Magnus a challenging look.

Magnus smiled too. This man never ceased to amaze him. "It's on, Alexander." He said, shaking his own dice.

"Ready to lose?" Alec said.

"And you?"

They slammed their dice on the table, quickly taking a look to see what they had rolled. Magnus had a hand of three fours and two fives.

"You challenged me so you have to make the first bid." Magnus said.

Alec looked at his own dice for some seconds. "Three fives." He said.

Magnus hesitated for a minute before replying. When the game had only two players the difficulty increased considerably since there were only ten dice on the table and that hardly left any room to try to fool your opponent. "Five fives."

"Liar!" Alec blurted out, revealing his dice. He had two threes, a one and a four—no fives.

"You lied! You don't have fives." Magnus complained.

"I know." Alec shrugged, feigning innocence. "Isn't that the whole point of this game?"

"You little son of-"

"Pay up, Magnus."

Magnus sighed and took a shot of rum. "When I was sixteen, I used to sneak into the church after the Mass was over and I drank the wine that the brothers kept there. They always wondered how it was that the wine evaporated. Brother Mariano used to say that the only explanation was that the chalices where they poured the wine were enchanted."

"The ones you stole?" Alec asked.

"Aye…"

"Are they enchanted?"

"No."

"Then, why did you steal them?"

"I told you...because I always wanted one."

"You're lying…" Alec said, looking Magnus straight in the eye, "what do you need the chalices for?"

"We agreed on a secret per hand, Alexander." Magnus said.

"It's not a secret since I saw you stealing them, tell me what are they for...please?"

"Maybe some day, Alexander, but not today." Magnus said, taking his dice and shaking them again. "Now, it's my turn. Let's see how skilled you are under pressure."

Magnus saw Alec rolling his eyes, but luckily, the boy didn't ask any further and just grabbed his dice and slammed them on the table too.

Magnus glanced down at his own dice. This time he had rolled three sixes, a two and a five. "Two sixes." He said.

"Three sixes." Alec said.

Magnus looked him in the eye and said. "Four sixes."

"Liar!" Alec exclaimed excited.

Magnus smiled and just revealed his hand; he knew Alec had taken the bait. He had three sixes and Alec had one, which made four sixes in all, just what Magnus had said.

"You lose." Magnus announced. "You see? I'm not very good at this game, that's true, but every now and then I get lucky."

Alec pouted, but took the shot of rum, making faces while it burned his throat. "I used to have a crush on my own brother."

"What!? You had a crush on Jason?"

"Jace...and yes."

"That's all kinds of sick, Alexander." Magnus said, trying not to listen to that little voice in the back of his head that was telling him that maybe letting Valentine to get rid of Jace wasn't a bad idea after all.

"I was just a dumb kid." Alec said in self defense. "And...he was not my brother when he arrived, so it's not like I was crushing on my own family, he was just the kid who was staying with us. Besides, he was the only boy around when I was in those years of self discovery. My father didn't want us to be friends with people from town, so when I started to discover that I liked boys, he was my only option: the kid who was staying with us temporarily. Then my parents decided to adopt him, I grew up and realized how wrong that was, so I moved on. No harm done."

Magnus laughed. "Say whatever you want to say...you still liked your own brother."

"He wasn't my brother when I liked him and it was only for some weeks!" Alec complained.

"You're still sick, Alexander." Magnus said jokingly.

He could see how uncomfortable Alec was with his dirty little secret and he enjoyed teasing him just to see him squirm in his own chair.

"But I like sick, I can work with sick." He added, taking pity on him.

"I-I-...hmmm." Alec blushed.

"It's your turn...we're even so if you're planning on keeping all your other dirty little secrets away from me, then you better improve your game because if not, you'll end up drunk and completely exposed, Alexander."

Alec playfully rolled his eyes and slammed his dice on the table. Magnus smiled back and kept playing.

The game stretched for hours and hours, and between shots of rum and silly stories, they both started to be more open with each other. Magnus learned that Alec had no experience with men, that he liked archery even though he was not allowed to practice it much because his father said that he had to be more skilled with the sword, and that his favorite season was spring, but just because that was when all the ships from around the world returned to make port in Alicante and he enjoyed watching them. He had a weakness for bread and anything that was baked unless his sister had cooked it since Alec said she was a terrible cook; he didn't like thunderstorms and his favorite color was blue. Not dark blue, sea blue.

Meanwhile, Magnus had shared some details of his childhood with the Silent Brothers, how he had found the Fountain of Youth after the ship in which he had been just one of the swabbies had sunk in the middle of a storm, and how he had met Ragnor and made him part of his crew; he told him about the many places he had visited over the years, about the friends he had made, and in some act of boldness, about his past lovers, not all of them, but the vast majority.

He had had to share more secrets since Alec had won most of the time. As he had already predicted Alec was good at deceiving and once he learned how to read Magnus, there had been no way to stop him. Fortunately for Magnus, Alec, who was not used to rum, had gotten drunk fairly quickly and now he was lying on top of Magnus's bed, snoring like a bear.

Magnus had spent the last hour just watching him sleep. He hadn't moved from the chair where he had been sitting because he didn't want to disturb him. He had drunk twice as much as Alec, but rum simply didn't have the same effect on him as in others...he was used to it. It took more than two bottles to make him lose his mind.

Alec murmured something in his sleep and Magnus smiled. The boy was a mess, but it was an adorable mess. An adorable mess that was proving to be a great temptation for Magnus. Alec had his long legs stretched out on the bed and the position gave Magnus the perfect angle to his-

Someone knocked on the door.

Magnus immediately rushed to open it before the sound could disturb Alec.

Behind the door was Ragnor, who was giving Magnus a look of disgust. "Ugh, you smell as if you had bathed yourself in rum."

"I did." Magnus said evasively, closing the door behind him. He didn't want Ragnor to see Alec sleeping in his bed, he was going to think the worst.

"You have a problem, mate, but ultimately it's your life." Ragnor said, shrugging. "Anyway...I'm here because we finally translated the last paragraph."

"Really? What does it say?" Magnus asked curiously.

Ragnor tried to enter Magnus's quarters, but Magnus stopped him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, but you can tell me here."

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing." Magnus started to say, but before he could say anything else, Ragnor opened the door and gasped when he saw Alec in his bed.

"Did you bed him?"

"No!" Magnus said. "We played that stupid dice game and he got drunk. I got distracted and next thing I knew, he had fallen asleep in my bed."

"You're playing with fire." Ragnor said, closing the door and rolling his eyes at Magnus.

"I'm not playing with anything."

"Yes, you are. Or, have you forgotten that we are going to exchange him for the Danube? Because as far as I know that was the plan. I know you talked to Raphael about finding a different alternative, but we haven't found one, so stop deluding yourself, Magnus. Because even if we found another way to get your ship without sacrificing the boy, he's not going to choose you. He's not like us, my friend. He has a family and a name to protect, he's not going to follow you around. When the time comes and if he manages to survive, what do you think he's going to do, huh? He's going back to Alicante where he belongs. He doesn't belong here."

Magnus rolled his eyes. He knew his friend was telling nothing but the truth, but he didn't want to hear it. "You said you translated the last paragraph...tell me what it says and leave, you're ruining my mood."

"Fine." Ragnor said, handing Magnus a piece of paper. "Raphael is still trying to make them sound consistent, but this part is important." He pointed to the last line. "See? According to this, angel blood can find the treasure, blood calls to blood."

"You mean Alexander can track the treasure?"

"Yes, but for that to happen we need a potion brewed by a Sea Witch."

"No..."

"Yes."

"Then let's keep looking for the island somewhere else, we won't visit that Sea Witch."

"Magnus it's the only way, we've been looking for that bloody island for weeks, if Alec can track the treasure, don't you think that's what we should do? I know you don't want to see her but-"

"No, I don't want to see her, but that's not all." Magnus said. "If what you two translated is true and blood calls to blood, then I'm guessing we will need Alec's blood to make the potion work and, how are we going to get that without telling him the truth, huh?"

"We could make it look like an accident and get a few drops of blood."

"And accidentally kill him in the process? No, thanks." Magnus said. "Also, asking help from a Sea Witch is always a bad idea, so no, we won't do it. We will keep looking for the island somewhere else."

"But-"

"But nothing. I'm the captain and that's an order, tell Raphael what I'm saying and please let's keep this little bit of information out of the records too, understood?"

"You care too much about him already." Ragnor stated, walking away and not giving Magnus the chance to say anything in return.

Not that there was much to add because Ragnor had just spoken the truth, he cared about Alec more than he should.

o-o-o-o-o

Alec woke with a jolt. He was disoriented, his head was killing him and he was not in his bed. He was in Magnus's bed with none other than Magnus sleeping beside him.

"Oh my God!" He whispered to himself, trying not to panic.

The pirate was very far from him, the bed was huge, but still. Alec had never shared a bed with anyone except his siblings when they had nightmares and stuff, and he didn't know how he felt about this particular situation. So trying not to wake Magnus, Alec stood up from bed and ran from the room.

It was a brand new day and the sun was already out. Some members of the crew were on the deck fulfilling their tasks, so when they saw him leaving, they gave him some knowingly eyes and playful smiles.

"Oh, God." Alec whispered, feeling his cheeks getting hot by the second.

Completely flushed, he got to his cabin and closed the door behind him, trying to isolate himself from the world. If he had had reasons to hate rum before, now he had even more. His head felt as if it were about to explode and he, himself, felt like a walking corpse.

"Well done, Alec." He chided himself, collapsing on his bed and closing his eyes to try to forget about the night before, but images of the hours he had shared with Magnus kept coming back to him.

He had learned so much about the pirate in so little time that it was almost overwhelming. It had been his goal all along, though. When the pirate had suggested that they should take a break after Alec's discovery, Alec had found himself wanting to spend his time getting to know Magnus, but since the pirate wasn't very open about his life, he had thought he could try to get something out of him with that stupid dice game. It had worked, but it had cost him a lot. A terrible headache for starters.

"God, what did you do, Alec?" He said mortified, shaking his head in shame. He had never gotten drunk before and the first time he had done it, he had ended up sleeping in someone else's bed, and not just someone else's, but Magnus's.

 _Magnus..._

To this point, Alec couldn't deny that the pirate made him feel things he hadn't felt before, but he couldn't just let those feelings distract him. He had to put aside whatever this was and concentrate on what he had to do: find his brother.

He couldn't allow himself to get distracted, much less by a man.

The problem was that Alec had never met a man as intriguing, interesting, and yeah, handsome as Magnus. At first he hadn't let his mind to think too much about it because all he wanted was to get his brother back, but he couldn't deny that Magnus had caught his eye since he had helped him when those burglars had tried to attack him in Alicante.

"No, no, no, no, Alec. Focus. You have to focus." He repeated like a mantra, but it wasn't working.

Images of Magnus kept flashing before his eyes. Magnus laughing, Magnus frowning, Magnus reading, Magnus getting excited when Alec found something interesting, Magnus speaking different languages—that really did things to him.

"No, no, no, no." He shook his head vigorously, but that just made it hurt even more.

He needed food and water to rehydrate himself, but he wasn't going to leave his cabin—ever. He was too embarrassed. The crew had seen him leaving Magnus's cabin and God knew what they had in their minds right now. They hadn't done anything, but it was still suspicious that only Alec had stayed over and-

There was a knock on the door.

Alec's heart made a flip and his pulse quickened. "Let it not be Magnus." He whispered. "Or Raphael, or Ragnor…"

He didn't want to see anyone. He just wanted to sleep and forget about the fact that he had fallen asleep in another man's bed. He thought about not opening the door, but the person who was knocking kept insisting, so very reluctantly, Alec stood up and opened the door, taking a deep breath and making himself more presentable.

It was Elias, a member of the crew.

"The captain has sent you this." The man said, handing Alec a tray with some fresh food, water and beer. "He asked me to tell you that you are allowed to stay in your cabin to rest for some hours and that he will meet you after lunch to continue with your investigation."

"I-I...thank you." Alec said, not knowing what else to say.

Elias just nodded and walked away.

Alec closed the door behind him, looked at the food and a smile escaped from his lips. There was a note there addressed to him.

 _"Eat and rest, Alexander. And yes, it's an order. M.B."_

"Aye, aye, captain." Alec said, rolling his eyes playfully.

It was equally frightening and surprising to see how little things like a silly note could make his heart to want to jump from his chest. The effect that Magnus had on him was unsettling and he had to learn how to control it. If not, he would end up doing something he was sure he was going to regret later.


	10. Chapter 10

**New month, new chapter! I really hope you like it! There's a new character, so let's see how that goes...**

 **Psst...Read the end-notes ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

Alec was sitting next to Magnus, laughing like crazy at some ridiculous poem they had found in a book. Their relationship had improved considerably since the day they had played that silly dice game. They were more comfortable around each other, more at ease with one another.

They were with Raphael and Ragnor at Magnus's quarters. The other two pirates were lost in their respective activities. Raphael rereading Jonathan's book to see if something different showed up, and Ragnor looking for islands on the map in hopes of finding the one they were looking for.

"I'm telling you, Alexander, this guy really took it to another level." Magnus said. "I know that poets use metaphors because they have to describe indescribable feelings, but this guy is just ridiculous, like, who on earth uses the-"

Raphael snapped the book shut, interrupting Magnus. "We need to see a Sea Witch." He said.

"Raphael!" Magnus exclaimed.

Alec looked around, confused. Ragnor's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets and Magnus's gaze was murderous.

"What?" Raphael said, shrugging as if he didn't know why Magnus was mad at him all of a sudden. "It's true, we told you a few days ago, but you would not listen."

Alec was confused. He didn't know what they were talking about and he needed answers. "What did you tell him? And why have you all been hiding things from me?"

"We-we haven't been hiding things from you." Ragnor intervened. "We just hmmm, weren't sure if what we thought this particular line said was true or not, right, my love?"

"Yeah, so we informed Magnus about it and he said that regardless of what it said, we would not visit any Sea Witch, what I don't get is why."

"I told Ragnor why." Magnus said. He sounded angry, as Alec had never heard him before.

"That's not enough reason." Raphael complained.

"What reason? Why don't you want to go see the Sea Witch?" Alec asked. He wasn't understanding anything. He felt as if he were being left in the dark—again.

"You just don't go and ask help from a Sea Witch, Alexander."

"Why not?" Alec and Raphael asked at the same time.

"Because asking for their help always means more trouble. Believe me, I know."

Alec frowned. "Why do we need a Sea Witch? Show me the line."

Raphael took Jonathan's book from the table and opened it where the story about Raziel's treasure was described, pointing to the very last line. "You don't read Latin, do you? Never mind...here. See?"

Alec leaned over to read. Of course he couldn't read it, for him, the line was just a bunch of letters and symbols mixed together.

"This line, we thought it said something different, but now we know that it says we can track the treasure with a potion brewed by a Sea Witch. There aren't many left, but fortunately for us, Magnus knows one."

"More like unfortunately." Magnus murmured under his breath.

"Then we have to go!" Alec exclaimed excitedly. "If we can track the treasure like that, then we must go!"

Raphael and Ragnor turned around to look at Magnus, who just kept shaking his head vigorously.

"Why not?" Alec asked tentatively. He had never seen Magnus so reluctant to do something.

"Remember the story I shared with you the first day we sailed together after we had that incident with the sword?"

Alec nodded, blushing a little.

"I told you Valentine had asked a Sea Witch for help," Magnus continued, "the only Sea Witch I know is the same one that helped Valentine. She betrayed me and helped that lunatic pirate contact hmmm, someone from the underworld...and that was how he got hold of the Danube. She's the reason I lost my ship in the first place."

Alec gave Magnus a sympathetic smile. Now he knew why the pirate was so reluctant to go. "Can't we go see another one?"

"As we already said, there aren't many available." Ragnor said. "Besides, consulting them isn't cheap, so unless you've brought with you enough gold to buy an entire fleet, I don't see how we're going to be able to pay for a potion."

Alec sighed. That was a problem because none of them had any money, what little gold Alec had brought with him when all this started was completely gone. He already had spent it all. "I know you're hesitant to go." He said, looking at Magnus. "And I understand why, I mean, she's the reason why Valentine was able to get help to steal your ship, and that's unforgivable. But think about this...she owes you, Magnus. If what you all say is true and Sea Witches aren't cheap, then she is our only option. She's indebted to you, you could convince her to make this potion for us for free. After all, it's the least she could do for you after what she did."

"Alexander…"

"Please, Magnus." Alec begged. "We've looked everywhere. We only have two weeks left before the solstice and the island could be on the other side of the world. We would never get there on time to catch Valentine if we find it last minute...please?"

"Fine." Magnus said, taking a deep breath. "Ragnor, please instruct the men. You know where we have to go."

"Right away." The pirate said, standing up and leaving the room.

"Thank you." Alec said.

"Don't thank me, I still think this is a bad idea." Magnus said, walking out of the room too.

"He's angry." Alec pointed out, when Magnus closed the door behind him.

"Ciertamente," Raphael shrugged, "but give him some hours and he'll come around, he always does."

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus was anxious. There were literally millions of reasons why he didn't want to go see that certain Sea Witch and now that they were close to her cave, he was remembering them all at once. He hadn't lied when he had said that asking a Sea Witch for help was always a bad idea, but what worried him the most was not that, but the fact that in going to see her, the truth that he had so adamantly tried to hide, could come out.

His relationship with Alec had changed in the last few days and it was true that Magnus cared about him more than he dared to express aloud. They had a connection, something that Magnus had never had with anyone before and he was aware that this little detour on their course could ruin it completely. If Alec learned the truth about the treasure, he would go and leave him, and Magnus was selfish enough to not want that...at least not yet. They still had to explore what was going on between them... _right?_

"When we arrive only Ragnor and I will go." He announced.

They were a few miles away from the island where the witch's cave was hidden. It was a very small portion of land that emerged from the water in the form a shell.

"I want to go!" Alec immediately protested.

"It's better if it's just us. She's very...manipulative. She plays with people's minds. Ragnor and I have some experience with her."

"You know her too?" Alec asked, looking at Ragnor.

"Not really, I met her once, when Valentine sold us after getting the Danube. He had to pay her with some souls or something. Fortunately, she didn't pick me or else I'd be dead."

"I still want to go." Alec said. "I don't care if-"

"Enough, Alexander! I said only Ragnor and I will go and that's an order." Magnus said. He had no time to waste arguing with this stubborn man. If he had to chain him to the ship to keep him away from that witch, he would do it.

"Fine." Alec said, rolling his eyes and storming out to his cabin.

"Keep an eye on him for me, okay, Raphael?" Magnus said.

"No soy tu niñera."

"Raphael...please."

"Fine, but if your boy toy does something stupid, don't blame me."

Magnus just nodded and headed toward the longboat that the men had prepared for them. Ragnor followed him, and together they started rowing toward the island. It was at a far distance, but they both had strong arms, and Magnus needed the time to collect his thoughts and relax a bit.

"You still love her?"

"What?" Magnus asked distracted.

"Are you still in love with her?"

"Me? No, of course not. I got over her a long time ago, I'm just resentful. She helped Valentine to get the Danube."

"Then, why the long face?"

"I-I didn't want her to tell anything to Alec about the treasure, god knows how much she already knows."

"You really care about him, don't you?"

Magnus didn't reply and just secured the boat near the mouth of the cave. The sun was setting, so they needed to have it close just in case things didn't go as planned.

"Does it matter?" He questioned.

"It matters if what you feel changes the plan."

"The plan is still the same." Magnus said. He was trying to come up with something to avoid sacrificing Alec, but until then, he knew it was best to follow what they had planned from the beginning.

Magnus and Ragnor entered the cave. It was as dusty and smelly as ever, and the familiar path of shiny rocks gave Magnus goosebumps. The last time he had been there, he had left with a broken heart and a promise to never set foot in there again.

Yet there he was, breaking his promise because a pair of beautiful eyes had said please.

"I knew you'd come back." A voice, coming from behind a curtain of small seashells, said. "How long has it been?" She asked, walking toward them. "A hundred years?"

"One hundred and ten." Magnus said, looking again at the face of his past lover: Camille Belcourt—the Sea Witch. She hadn't aged a bit, not that Magnus was expecting anything different, Sea Witches were immortal, but it was still a bit shocking to see her after all this time. Over the years Sea Witches tended to take many shapes, but Camille had always loved her human form. She was very pretty, Magnus couldn't deny that. Too bad he couldn't say the same of what was hidden behind such beauty. The woman was rotten inside.

"Well, one hundred, one hundred and ten...it doesn't matter. We're reunited at last."

"I didn't come here voluntarily."

"Aww, are you mad at me for what happened with the Danube?"

"What do you think?"

"It was all business, dear, nothing personal."

Magnus just rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to start arguing with her. He hadn't agreed to come for that.

"Ragnor." She exclaimed, finally acknowledging the other pirate. "It's been a while too. I see you're still loyal to your captain. You were in your teens when I last saw you. Years look good on you."

"Thank you." Ragnor said, blushing a little with the sudden compliment.

"And to what do I owe this lovely visit?"

"We need you to brew a potion for us." Magnus said, trying to shorten the visit as much as possible.

"Potions aren't cheap, darling."

"Well, thanks to you I have no means to pay."

"You know you could always pay me in kind, my bed's been a bit lonely in recent years."

"No, thanks. I'm allergic to fish."

"I don't remember you complaining when-"

"You owe me!" He said, recalling Alec's words.

"And why is that?"

"Because you made me lose the Danube."

"I didn't make you lose anything."

"Yes, you did!" Magnus snapped, clearly losing his temper.

"Magnus, mate…" Ragnor whispered, placing a hand on Magnus's back. Magnus knew that yelling at her wasn't going to help them, but he had been unable to help it. That woman always managed to get the worst out of him.

"You have to help us, Camille." He said, trying to use a neutral tone—not cold, but yet not friendly enough.

Camille looked at both of them and smiled. "Tell me what kind of potion you need and I'll think about it."

Magnus looked at Ragnor. There was a silent conversation going on between them. Both knew they had to tell her, even if it turned out to be a bad idea.

"We need a potion to track Raziel's treasure." Magnus said, expecting to see some surprise flash through Camille's eyes, but the Sea Witch hadn't even blinked.

"For that potion to work, you must have angel blood, and last thing I heard Valentine was on his way to break the curse. So either you have something up your sleeve or you're an idiot to think that you have something Valentine doesn't."

"I want my ship back." Magnus deflected.

"Evidently…" Camille said, pacing around the cave, "let me see the transcript of the legend. If you found out about the potion then you must have Jonathan's book."

"I don't have it."

"Darling, you've never been good at lying. I don't want the book, just the transcript. Come on, do you want this potion or not?"

Magnus looked at Ragnor and nodded. The quirky pirate reached into his pocket and took out a copy of the transcript.

"This is all we have, we couldn't translate more." Ragnor said, handing Camille a folded piece of paper.

Camille scanned its content and smiled. "I assume you have deciphered most of this?"

Magnus and Ragnor nodded.

"Valentine has the three boys, I don't think you can get to where he is on time."

"Three boys?" Ragnor and Magnus asked at the same time.

"Three forces, three boys." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And from them the owner shall rise."

"What?" Magnus asked confused.

"Seriously? Can't you read well or what? It's written here." She pointed to the transcript. _"'The angel shall choose from his own blood the one who will be the owner of his treasure. He whose heart has been tempted but not corrupted.'_ That's why Jonathan could never get rid of the curse and died leaving only his book as proof that he once was cursed. He was not blessed with the angel's gift. He had no heirs, no one who could save his soul."

Magnus and Ragnor shared a look. This new discovery changed things a lot. Magnus was almost certain Ragnor was thinking the same as him—Alec could be the one. The owner of the most powerful treasure in the world.

"So...are you going to help us or not?" Magnus asked, returning his attention to Camille.

"I don't know," she hesitated, "where did you get the blood?"

"I never said I had it, maybe I'm on my way to get it."

"And how exactly are you planning on doing that? Valentine is on the island, he has the boys. Don't lie and tell me, where did you-"

In that moment someone entered the cave, interrupting Camille. It was Alec, with a soaking wet version of Raphael following right behind.

"What are you doing here!?" Magnus asked, quite irritated. He might like Alec, but he was more than willing to strangle him at that very moment.

"Who's this?" Camille asked, looking at Alec.

"No one." Magnus said, ignoring her. "I ordered you to stay on the ship, Alexander."

"Sorry, but you were taking too long." Alec said in self-defense.

Magnus rolled his eyes in exasperation. _Could this man be any more stubborn?_ He didn't think so.

Magnus looked at Raphael. He had explicitly asked his friend to look after Alec.

"Don't look at me like that! I told you I was not your babysitter. I tried to stop him." Raphael said, pointing to his wet clothes.

"Alexander, please go back to the ship."

"What's your name?" Camille asked Alec. She had been circling him, eyeing him from head to toe.

"Alec, Alec Lightwood." Alec said, offering his hand to her in a polite way.

Camille ignored Alec's hand, of course, but Magnus saw her smiling. What he had been so afraid that could happen was happening, and there was nothing he could do to stop it, except pray that Camille kept her mouth shut.

"I see...nice to meet you Alec Lightwood. Now I see why Magnus had you under lock. He's never been good at sharing. When we were together that was a deal-breaker for us, wasn't it, darling? You couldn't stand the fact that I was a free spirit."

"Camille, please." Magnus said, practically begging her to shut up.

"Relax, dear, everything is fine. I have changed my mind about helping you. I'll brew your potion, but this…" she added, pointing to the folded piece of paper that she was holding. "...will be my payment. Do we have a deal?"

Magnus sighed. _What other option did he have really?_

"Deal."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec was regretting having disobeyed Magnus's orders. They were still with the Sea Witch who had turned out to be one of Magnus's many past lovers—Camille Belcourt. Alec knew he should be happy since she had agreed to prepare the potion and all, but for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Magnus and this...woman, had been lovers.

He felt something inside of him that he couldn't quite explain, but it was as if suddenly his blood were boiling and he had the impending need to kill something or someone. More specifically, the stunning mystical creature who hadn't lost the opportunity to flirt with Magnus.

Alec was finally understanding the look the boy from the Spiral, Imasu, had given him when they had met. It was jealousy and that was exactly what he was feeling. He was jealous and if he was jealous it was because he liked Magnus. He liked the pirate as he knew he shouldn't like him.

"I need seeds and roots from a red mangrove." Camille said, looking at Magnus and Ragnor. "Would you fetch them for me? You can find a couple of trees in the back of the cave."

Magnus and Ragnor nodded, walking out of the cave.

Alec felt uncomfortable in Camille's presence, but he was relieved that although Raphael was mad at him for what he had done earlier, the pirate was still-

"Where are you going!?" Alec asked alarmed when he saw Raphael making his way out of the cave as well.

"Don't go!" He whispered, but the pirate ignored him and left, leaving Alec completely alone with the Sea Witch.

"You're pretty cute." Camille said. She was mixing some ingredients in a large cauldron. "More so than the rest, but don't feel so especial. Magnus is hiding things from you too. He's always been like that. He's secretive, like the men who raised him."

Alec remained silent. He knew it was better not to start any kind of conversation with her.

"I can see what you feel." She said. "And you shouldn't trust him."

Alec turned around to hide his flushed face. He felt as if that woman could read beyond his soul and it was unnerving.

"He says he's a bad liar, and that's true," she continued, "but he's good at distorting the truth. If you don't ask the right questions you won't get the answers you're looking for. Besides, he's a pirate. He's selfish...he never acts out of compassion. He always has to get something in return. He's not the good person you think he is."

Alec tried to stop his head from shaking. That was not entirely true. Yeah, Magnus was a pirate, and he did bad things, but he was also different from the rest. Alec had learned to know him and he knew that Magnus was not a bad person.

"Did he ever tell you something about me?"

Alec shook his head slightly. Magnus had mentioned some of his past lovers, but he had failed to mention Camille.

"We had a really nice time together." Camille said. "He's very passionate, which I'm sure you already know."

Alec tried to shut his ears. Of course he didn't know it, _how could he?_ But he didn't want to hear it from her.

"I loved it when he-"

Camille was saying when Magnus and Ragnor entered the cave again. They were carrying the roots and seeds that Camille had requested. Magnus was looking around the room, certainly looking for Raphael.

"Where's Raphael?" He finally asked.

"Outside." Alec said in a very cold tone. He hadn't intended it to come out like that, but he hadn't been able to stop it. He was angry. _Why?_ Well, because he hated what he was feeling and Magnus was responsible for it. If only he were not so charming and intelligent and-

"Where are my roots and seeds?" Camille asked, interrupting Alec's train of thought.

Magnus handed her what they had collected. "Now hurry up, we have to go."

Camille rolled her eyes, gave Magnus a peck on the lips and went back to work.

Alec watched the exchange and his vision turned red. The bomb that had been ticking inside of him since he had learned that this woman had been one of Magnus's past lovers had finally exploded.

 _That's it!_

He couldn't stay there any longer, so he turned around and without looking back, left the cave in a hurry.

* * *

 **You ask: It is coming?**

 **I say: No spoilers, but yes!**

 **See you on Tuesday ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello! As promised, here's the new chapter. I really, really hope you like it! It's cheesy and maybe a bit cliche, but I don't care lol. Sometimes we need a bit of that in our lives. Anyway, please read the notes at the end because there are some questions regarding this chapter that I'll answer there.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

Magnus followed Alec outside. He had seen the boy's face before he stormed out of the cave, and Magnus feared the worst. He didn't know how long Alec had stayed alone with Camille, but the chances that the Sea Witch had revealed something about the treasure were high. She knew a lot about it. Sea Witches always knew whatever happened in the sea. They never shared it, but that didn't mean they had no idea.

Magnus sighed. That had been the exact reason why he had asked Alec to stay behind. It was safer for everyone, but no, that stubborn man couldn't follow one order. One. Magnus liked him, but when he acted like a spoiled child, he really wanted to strangle him.

The exterior of the cave was deserted except for Raphael, who was lying on one of the longboats with his eyes closed as if he were asleep, but Magnus knew he wasn't.

"Did you see where he went?" Magnus asked.

"Who?" Raphael inquired, raising his head.

"Alexander."

"He got away again?" Raphael rolled his eyes. "Dios mio! I swear that boy will be the death of us all. He's reckless and foolish. Tonight I almost froze to death because he decided to steal one of the longboats! You owe me big time, Bane."

"Did he do it on his own?" Magnus asked.

"What?"

"Steal the boat."

"As far as I know." Raphael shrugged. "The men were resting while we waited, I guess he seized the opportunity to slip away. But we have to be careful, that behavior could be dangerous. He doesn't think too much before acting."

"Tell me about it." Magnus said, looking around. Alec was nowhere in sight. "I left Ragnor alone with Camille, could you go with him while l look for Alexander? I don't trust that Witch, but I have to find him...this place is full of traps, it's not safe."

"You know? Maybe if you let him fall into one, he'd learn to stop being so stupid." Raphael murmured, entering the cave and quickly disappearing from view.

Magnus sighed and walked to the side of the cave. The island was very, very small, so there weren't many places for Alec to hide, the problem was that it was already dark. The sun had set a few minutes ago and the only source of light came from the moon.

Magnus walked and walked, circling the cave until he found him. Alec was standing on a rock formation, throwing sticks, rocks and anything within his reach to the sea. He looked frustrated.

"You know? Poseidon is very sensitive. If I were you, I'd stop throwing things at his sea. It's not very polite." Magnus said.

Alec huffed, ignoring him and throwing a huge rock instead, making it splash hard against the dark surface of the water.

"You okay?" Magnus asked.

"Yes." Alec said, not even looking at him and just picking up some more rocks.

"You don't look okay." Magnus pointed out.

"I'm fine." Alec said, throwing more rocks. "Go back to her, I just need some air, that place stinks."

Magnus ignored Alec's request and instead of going back to the cave, he approached him and stood next to him. The rock was big enough for both of them.

"Why are you so mad?" Magnus asked casually. It was clear that something was eating him, but he didn't know what it was. To this point he was almost confident that it had nothing to do with the treasure because Alec was still there. He wouldn't have stayed if he had learned the truth, of that Magnus was certain.

"I'm not mad."

"Yes you are, darling. And I don't know why, but I get the feeling that you're mad at me, although I have no idea why. I've done nothing wrong. In fact, now that I think about it, I should be the one mad at you. You disobeyed my orders and that, Alexander, is called insurrection. If I weren't as kind as I am, you'd be dead already. Not many captains allow this kind of misbehavior to go unnoticed. Any other would have made you walk the plank or shot you right here." Magnus said, putting his finger between Alec's eyes.

Alec just rolled his eyes. It was clear he was not in the mood.

"What's wrong, Alexander?" Magnus asked again.

Alec remained silent. He had his eyes fixed on the sea and was fidgeting with his hands. He had run out of rocks.

"Are you going to force me to ask again?"

"You're hiding things from me." Alec finally said. "She told me."

Magnus rolled his eyes. Of course she had told him. "Didn't I tell you that she was very manipulative? That's why I asked you to stay behind, she's an expert when it comes to playing with people's minds."

"She seems to know you very well, I think you forgot to share that you two had been...lovers." Alec said, in a tone that Magnus hadn't heard before, but that made his heart beat faster.

 _Was he...jealous?_

Suddenly, Alec's behavior made a lot more sense and Magnus felt something strange igniting inside him. _Could this really mean what he thought it meant?_ And if so, _should he take the chance?_ It seemed that Magnus's brain and heart were on a declared war. The Danube or Alec, Alec or the Danube. He couldn't have one without losing the other. Ultimately, he stopped thinking too much about it and just did what he thought was the best.

"Well, my apologies, Alexander, it must have slipped my mind. She was part of my life, yes, but it happened a long time ago. And just so you know, nobody knows me better than you at this point. You discovered all my secrets with your little game the other day." Magnus said, expecting some sort of reaction from Alec, but the boy was still ignoring him.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

Alec finally looked away from the sea and locked eyes with Magnus. The answer was there: no.

"I'm not lying...haven't I proven myself to be a terrible liar?"

Alec let out the ghost of a smile.

"Really, Alexander. Nobody knows me better than you do. I've told you things I've never told anyone before."

"Why?"

Magnus sighed. _Could this man be any more oblivious?_ He had been flirting and pouring his heart out for weeks and this man still couldn't see it. "Because I like you, you idiot."

"You-you like me?"

"Of course I like you. Why else would I have agreed to share so much with you? I'm very protective of my life. The day you proposed that game I knew I was going to lose; I knew you'd learn things about me that I hadn't shared with anyone, but I didn't mind because I wanted you to know them. I wanted you to get to know me. And maybe this is a wild guess, but I want to believe that the source of your anger resides in the fact that you're jealous of Camille, and if I'm right, then that's because you like me too, so having this conversation seems a bit pointless. We could end it right now and skip to the part where we kiss." Magnus said. He knew he was probably making the biggest mistake of his life, but he couldn't care less.

"I'm-I'm not jealous of Camille." Alec said, although Magnus could see he was lying. "But you're right, I-I like you too."

Magnus instead of wasting any more time with overused words, leaned over and kissed Alec. The effect was immediate. He knew it, he had known it for some time now. Alec was special—more special than anyone had ever been.

"See?" Magnus said, a little out of breath. "That's better." He added, leaning again and this time practically devouring Alec.

o-o-o-o-o

Alec was an excellent swimmer and therefore he had never experienced what drowning felt like, but now that he was kissing Magnus, he supposed that the feeling was somehow similar. Kissing someone was like drowning yourself in the sea of someone else's soul. It was an unnerving feeling, but yet the best experience he had had so far.

Kissing Magnus was the best.

The pirate tasted like rum, sea water and Magnus, a lethal mix to which Alec was already addicted. He had his arms around Magnus's waist, pulling the pirate as close as he physically could. He had never wanted anything in his life as he wanted Magnus. He had tried to put aside the things this man made him feel, but it had been impossible. In the past days, the pirate had slowly stolen his heart and now that he knew he wasn't alone in this madness, he didn't want to let go.

"Oh, Alexander." Magnus said, letting out a groan from the back of his throat. That sound had an immediate effect on Alec, but he decided not think too much about it.

In fact, he didn't want to think too much about anything right now. He just wanted to keep kissing Magnus until his lips hurt, so he did. He kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him.

He had never kissed anyone before, but he doubted that any kiss in the world could top what kissing Magnus felt like.

"Seriously?" A voice said, making them jump scared. "Couldn't you wait until we were back on the ship?"

It was Raphael.

"What do you want?" Magnus asked. "Didn't I ask you to go with Ragnor?"

"Aye, and I was there, but the potion is ready. So unless you want us to stay for the night, we should leave...pronto."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh...now hurry, okay? She doesn't want to give us the potion; she says you asked for it, so you're the only one who can claim it."

Magnus nodded. "Okay, give us some minutes."

"Sabes que esto va a ser un inconveniente, ¿verdad?" Raphael said.

Alec didn't understand that last part, his Spanish was bad, but he didn't exactly care. Magnus didn't seem upset or anything.

"I know." Magnus said. "Thank you, Raphael. We'll be there in a minute."

Raphael walked away. Alec heard him muttering something else, but he couldn't make sense of it; his attention was back on Magnus and Magnus only.

"Well, I guess we have to go back." Magnus shrugged. "You heard him, it's time to go."

Alec just nodded; he didn't know what else to say or do. What had happened between them a few minutes ago could make things awkward between them. Alec had so many questions and yet he didn't dare to ask because, _what if he had misunderstood Magnus's intentions? What if he was imagining something that wasn't there?_ Yeah, Magnus had said that he liked him, but... _how much? And, what did that really mean?_

"Come here." Magnus said, pulling him for another kiss and stopping Alec's internal freak-out monologue. "I have to confess that, of all the things I have discovered about you since we met, Alexander, this is by far my favorite. You're an excellent kisser."

Alec smiled, blushing at the speed of light, but the sudden compliment gave him some confidence to speak his mind, so he did. "What does this make us? Some sort of lovers? A couple?"

Magnus smiled. "All of the above, I hope. But I like partners in crime better."

Alec chuckled, ducking his head to hide his flushed cheeks.

"Come," Magnus said, grabbing Alec's hand, "let's get out of here."

Alec followed Magnus without complaint. He felt like walking on water and he just couldn't stop smiling. His mood had changed so abruptly that he was still a bit disoriented.

They entered the cave and Magnus released his hand.

"I have your potion, darling." Camille said, quickly approaching Magnus, as if to claim him. And even though Alec had lied when he had admitted not being jealous of Camille, he didn't feel like he had felt half an hour ago. His vision was no longer red, and that feeling of wanting to kill her was gone. He was now immune to Camille.

"I heard." Magnus said, taking the tiny glass bottle that Camille had in her hands.

"You know what to do with this, so just pour the mixture on a map and follow the trail. But be careful, it won't last forever, so use it only when you're ready to face him." Camille said. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but if you really want to beat Valentine Morgenstern, you need a bigger crew. You better than anyone know that for you to get what you want, you'll have to make some sacrifices."

Magnus didn't respond and just walked to the exit of the cave with Ragnor and Raphael following right behind him. "Good riddance, Camille." He said, walking away.

Alec had been so immersed in his own thoughts about how fast his feelings had changed that he had virtually stayed behind. So he shook his head and turned to follow them, but Camille stopped him before he could take a step.

"Wait!" She said, pulling him from his arm. "I have something for you." She added, handing Alec what looked like a folded piece of paper or maybe some kind of map.

"I don't want anything from you."

"But you do want this, trust me." She insisted, trying to put the piece of paper in Alec's hand.

"No, thank you." He said, quickly.

"Don't be stubborn, boy, consider this a gift from me."

"I don't want any gifts from you. Thank you."

"Dear, if you were half as intelligent as you seem to be, you wouldn't reject this. Have you heard what happens to those who reject a gift from a Sea Witch?"

Alec shook his head. "Why do you want to give me a gift?"

"That's my problem, now accept this and don't tell anyone about it."

Alec frowned, but accepted the paper, placing it inside his coat. He didn't know what happened to those who rejected a gift from a Sea Witch, but he didn't want to find out. He could always just burn whatever she had given him later.

"When you know everything there is to know, don't forget who helped you." She warned him, smiling a wicked smile.

Alec frowned, but just walked away, almost crashing against Magnus. Apparently, the pirate had noticed his absence and had returned for him.

"What took you so long? I thought you were behind me." Magnus said.

"I was, but she stopped me."

"What for?" The pirate asked alarmed.

Alec thought about telling him what had happened between them, about the gift she had given him, but for some reason he didn't. "To warn me about the same she had told me before, but don't worry, I didn't let her get into my head this time."

Magnus just gave Alec a smile and grabbed his hand. "Raphael and Ragnor took one of the longboats already, so whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me."

"Good." Alec said with a smile.

He was more than okay with being left alone with Magnus. In fact, he had already thought of that possibility. He had brought another boat when he had come to the island, so it was obvious they would have to split to take them both back to the Avenger.

"We have to hurry, the tide is rising a bit. Maybe you did offend Poseidon."

"You're joking, right?"

"Of course, I'm joking, Alexander." Magnus laughed. "Though I didn't lie when I said he was very sensitive. He is."

Alec rolled his eyes and climbed the boat, taking the oars immediately. Magnus hadn't moved from where he was standing.

"What?"

"Nothing," Magnus smiled. "I was just admiring you. You are a beautiful sight."

"Oh, shut up!" Alec exclaimed, turning red as a tomato. "Didn't you say we had to hurry? I want to leave this island as soon as possible."

"Always so bossy." Magnus said, taking the other pair of oars and joining Alec. "But your wish is my command, my love."

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus and Alec reached the Avenger after some time. Ragnor apparently had already instructed the men about their new destination because they were moving around, preparing the ship to sail again. They were going back to the Spiral to get more crew, following Camille's last advice. It was not that they trusted her, she was the last person they would trust, but having more men among them before facing Valentine didn't sound like a bad idea after all.

"Come with me?" Magnus suggested, looking at Alec. The boy nodded and followed him to the helm.

"You know how to move it, don't you?" Magnus questioned. Alec nodded nervously. "Then do me a favor and get us out of here while I go get something from my quarters real quick, okay?"

"You want me to...?"

"You can't?"

"No, of course I can, but-"

"What?" Magnus questioned. "Didn't you say that one day you wanted to be a captain? For that to happen you have to practice."

Alec nodded nervously, but didn't hesitate to take the helm. Magnus just observed him and smiled. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Magnus walked to his cabin and rummaged among the possessions he had until he found what he was looking for—a quill and a scroll. The scroll was a bit battered, but it didn't matter...it would work anyway.

He walked out of the room and joined Alec. The boy had managed to turn the ship in one single movement. Now they were heading north, away from Camille's cave.

"Looks like you're a natural." Magnus said, standing on his tiptoes behind Alec and breathing down his neck.

"I-I love this." Alec confessed.

"Of course you do, darling." Magnus agreed. "Now here, take this." He said, handing him the quill.

Alec looked at it with confusion, but Magnus didn't waste any time and just opened the scroll in front of them, revealing a small map of the world.

"What's this for?"

"You'll know in just a second," Magnus said, taking Alec's hand and guiding it to a point in the middle of the Atlantic. "Put an X in there for me." He instructed him.

"What's in there?" Alec asked curiously.

"Our next heading." Magnus said simply.

Alec turned his head in confusion. His beautiful eyes were shining like two stars of the night. "The Spiral!?"

Magnus nodded. "This map is for you. Now you know how to get there."

"Magnus I…" Alec said, he was smiling broadly. Magnus had once shared with him what it meant to share the location of the Spiral Labyrinth. It was an act of infinite trust.

"Shhh, you don't have to say anything...I know." Magnus said. "Now, take us there, Alexander."

Alec nodded enthusiastically, looking quickly toward the stars to guide himself. After a few minutes the ship was on its way, moving smoothly across the water.

"Now all we have to do is keep it steady." Magnus said, shouting instructions to the men so that the ship followed its course and arrived in one piece to the Spiral.

"Ragnor!" He shouted again, calling his First Mate. The pirate was there within seconds. "Take over the helm for me, please."

Ragnor nodded, immediately taking over and standing behind the helm.

"And you." Magnus added, pointing at Alec. "Follow me."

They walked together to Magnus's cabin, and Magnus closed the door behind them.

"What are you orders, captain?" Alec joked.

Magnus loved this side of Alec. He had seen it once or twice in the last couple of weeks and he loved it.

"Well, sailor, I have a very special task for you. The Spiral is two days away, so you'll have all this time to show me all the things you can do with that mouth of yours."

"Is that so?"

"Aye, are you up to the task, sailor?"

Alec smiled a big smile. "Aye, aye, captain." He said, leaning over to start fulfilling his task.

"See?" Magnus said. "It wasn't that hard to follow an order."

Alec rolled his eyes, and Magnus burst out laughing. Whatever happen in the future was not on his mind at that moment. He had some days—maybe one week—to come up with a new plan to avoid losing Alec and the Danube. But until then, he was just going to enjoy whatever this was and forget about all the things that could go wrong because there was a lot that could go wrong. Not only his ship and Alec's brother's life were at risk, but now their own hearts as well.

And those, Magnus thought, weren't worth losing them for anything in the world.

* * *

 **So it finally happened! About time, don't you think? I hope you liked it!** **Raphael's line in Spanish says: "You know this is going to be inconvenient, right?" (Thanks to Gabs on tumblr for the help with that one).**

 **Anyway, now, back to the questions I promised to answer.** _ **Is that piece of paper what you think it is? Is he going to find out the truth about the treasure? Am I going to break your hearts after only one chapter?**_

 **Yes, that paper is exactly what you think it is. Also yes, he's going to find out at some point.** _ **Were you really expecting any different?**_ **And finally, no. I'm not going to break your hearts so soon, so breathe and enjoy all the Malec!**

 **See you on Friday!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello! Here's the new chapter, I won't say much about it since there's no much to say. I just wanted a chapter where we could see what Alec and Magnus think of what's happening between them before hell breaks loose. I know many of you are rooting for Alec since he's the one who will discover that everyone's been lying to him and stuff, but Magnus is going through hell too, it was not part of his plan to fall for Alec, so please don't hate my pirate son too much lol.**

 **Anyway, I hope you like it.**

 **Also, next Tuesday I won't be able to add a new chapter since I'll be on vacation, but I promise that CH13 will be up next Friday.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

Magnus was awake just thinking while Alec slept peacefully beside him. In the last two days they had been exploring all those feelings they had for each other, and although it had been the greatest experience of his life so far, Magnus was a bit overwhelmed by it. First, because he hadn't really understood how much he felt for Alec until recent days, and second, because he had never in a million years, expected to be Alec's so many firsts. But now that he was, he couldn't help but aspire to be all his lasts as well.

It was a selfish feeling, and deep down he knew he didn't deserve someone like Alec, but he couldn't help it. Alec had become the helm of his ship, the eye of his storm. He liked him more than he had liked a lot of things in his life, including his ship and rum—and that was saying something.

Alec, with his shy, but yet surprisingly captivating personality, had stolen his heart and now Magnus was in the middle of a very hard predicament. On the one hand, he couldn't tell Alec the truth about the treasure and what he had planned from the beginning because the boy was going to hate him and probably do something very, very stupid, but at the same time he had to get some of Alec's blood to make the potion work. Camille had clearly said: _"pour the mixture on a map and follow the trail."_ And there weren't many days left before they had to use it to track Valentine.

 _How was he going to get Alec's blood without telling him?_

Ragnor and Raphael had told him to take advantage of his sudden closeness to Alec to accidentally hurt him, but he hadn't found in him the will to actually do it. When he was with Alec he was entirely at the boy's mercy. He became soft and irrational, his senses got clouded and he couldn't think clearly.

 _Why everything had to be so complicated?_

If he could, he would forget about Valentine and take Alec with him to some exotic island and never look back. But that was impossible, his ship was still important to him—it was part of who he was—and also, he knew that Alec wouldn't just abandon Jason. So although a lot of things had changed between them over the last two days, what had brought them together was exactly the same, except that now Magnus could lose Alec and with him his heart, if the truth ever came out.

 _"When it comes out."_ He thought, because he knew it would happen at some point. He could try to delay it, but _...for how long?_

At the moment his only chance was to find some miraculous way to deceive both Valentine and Alec. Valentine, so that he thought he had to go after some other imaginary Lightwood eldest son, and Alec, so that he never found out that he was said son.

 _"What a mess!"_ Magnus thought, exhaling loudly.

Having listened to his heart and not his head had complicated everything, but he didn't regret anything that had happened between them. For years he had looked for someone like Alec; in his naivete he had thought he had found it a couple of times, but he had been mistaken. Now that he knew the real feeling he could confirm that nothing he had ever felt before could compare to what he felt for Alec. Nothing.

"Stop thinking so loud." Alec said, mumbling with his eyes still closed.

Magnus smiled. "How do you know I was thinking?"

"Because I can hear you." Alec said, opening his eyes and looking at Magnus.

Magnus smiled again. Just as he never got tired of looking at the sea, he knew he would never get tired of looking at those beautiful eyes.

"What's troubling you?" Alec asked.

Magnus took a deep breath. If only he could share what was really troubling him...but he couldn't. "Nothing, Alexander, go back to sleep."

Alec, as per usual, did the exact opposite and just rested his head on his arm to get a better view of Magnus. "You're lying...tell me what's wrong."

"I'm just worried about the future, that's all." He said, being as honest as he could be. _How the tables turned, right?_ Now it killed him to hide things from Alec.

"Are you worried about the battle against Valentine?" Alec inquired.

"Aye."

"Well, stop worrying about it. We're going to defeat him, I promise. It's going to be dangerous, I know, but we'll do it."

Magnus sighed. "That's exactly one of the things that concern me, Alexander." He admitted. "I don't want to put you at risk."

"Magnus…"

"If, let's say…" Magnus said, "I asked you to stay in the Spiral and wait for me, would you do it? Would you stay? I could go face Valentine on my own, rescue your brother and then come back for you."

"Don't ask me to do that." Alec said. "You know that's not going to happen. I'm going with you. We're in this together."

Magnus tried to smile. "I know, but at least I had to try."

Alec got closer to him and started kissing his neck. "Don't worry," he whispered against his jaw, "everything will be fine. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Magnus exhaled. Little did Alec know that that was exactly what Magnus was going to do. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen to him either. He was going to protect him from Valentine even if that cost him his own life. He was going to fix what he had done wrong and sacrifice himself to give Alec a chance to have a happy and better life. "Well, I won't let anything bad happen to you either."

"See?" Alec said, with a smile. "There's nothing to worry about then. We have each other's backs, so stop worrying."

Those words broke Magnus's heart, but he put the feeling aside and just hugged Alec, kissing him hard as if his life depended on it, which was probably true, but he wasn't going to voice those thoughts. He didn't want to scare the boy. "I want you to know something."

"What?"

"Whatever happens, don't forget that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, I've made a lot of mistakes too, but meeting you and being with you has been the best that's ever happened to me. I want you to remember that, okay? No matter what the future holds, know that now and here, at this very moment, you are the only thing that matters to me. The only one, okay?"

Alec frowned. "Why are you saying all those things? I don't like it when you talk like that."

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just sentimental." Magnus admitted. "But I'm serious, you are everything to me, Alexander. So promise me, promise me that you won't forget it."

"I won't."

"Good." Magnus said, kissing him again. "Now, let's take full advantage that you're now awake and make the most of these few hours, okay? We'll be arriving to the Spiral at night."

"Okay."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec was very happy. He knew that by giving into what he felt for Magnus he had complicated his life even more, but he couldn't care less. The future was uncertain, and if there was something he had learned in all these weeks was that he couldn't think too much ahead of time. He had to live every day and enjoy it at its fullest.

Raphael had taught him the meaning of a Latin phrase: _Carpe Diem_ —seize the day. And that was exactly what he had been doing, seizing every day. What was yet to come seemed very complicated, but he knew he'd figure it out somehow. His mother always said that at the end of the day things fell into place, and that was what he was hoping for. He hoped that when all this ended, he could have a better view of what he wanted to do with his life.

But for now all that mattered was that he was happy. Happy as he hadn't been before. He had Magnus, he was sailing and knowing all sorts of stunning new places, and soon, he would have his brother back. Life couldn't get any better.

"Alexander..." Magnus said from one side of the cabin. He had been getting ready to go out and take over the helm again.

Alec, on the other hand, had spent all that time watching him, though probably ogling him was a more appropriate verb. They had spent so much time together and yet every time Alec watched him, he found something new—an expression, a mark on his body. Like the smile that escaped from Magnus's lips whenever he spoke of something that was close to his heart or the tiny freckles that covered the pirate's back and that looked like small constellations.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" Magnus continued. "As much as I'm enjoying the view of that gorgeous body of yours, let me tell you that it's not something I'm willing to share with the crew. In fact, with anyone."

Alec smiled. He had never felt comfortable in his own skin, but with Magnus things were different. With one look the pirate made him feel special, wanted, attractive and even sexy. A word he never thought he would use to describe himself. He had always thought he had the sex appeal of a crab.

"Come on, Alexander." Magnus said. "We're about to make port."

"I don't want to move." Alec confessed. "Your bed is very comfy."

Magnus smiled and got closer to the bed, kissing him tenderly as if Alec was made of glass. Alec had discovered in the last couple of days that he liked it when Magnus had no restrains when kissing him, but when the pirate kissed him gently, as he was doing at that precise moment, he melted like ice on hot water. He couldn't deny it, that kind of kisses had a direct line to his heart.

"I have a proposition for you," Magnus said, between kisses, "why don't you sleep here permanently? After we have dinner at the Spiral we could come back here and move your stuff. There's plenty of room and it's not like you have a lot of things. We'll need the space for the new crew members, so it's an arrangement that benefits us all."

"I-I...okay." Alec said, blushing instantly.

That was something else that he had learned over the days. Magnus always knew how to make him blush. It could be with the sweetest of the compliments or with some sexual innuendo, it didn't matter. Magnus had Alec's cheeks working the extra shift in the blushing sector, and Alec wondered if that would ever change or if it would always be like that. Not that he cared that much, Magnus had said he loved when Alec blushed.

"Good." Magnus smiled. "Now up, sleepyhead. I need you to help the men with the sails. They are going to need those skilled and strong arms to not make a mess."

"Aye, aye captain."

Alec finally got up and dressed himself as fast as he could, following Magnus outside. The sun was setting and the Spiral was just a tiny dot barely visible on the horizon.

"I'll see you in a bit." Alec said, leaving Magnus by the helm and walking to the main deck to start helping the crew with the sails. His new status as the captain's partner didn't exempt him from doing manual tasks. And that was probably a good thing because he didn't want them to act differently around him. He liked them, and although he hadn't spent much time with them—he had been most of the time with Magnus, Raphael and Ragnor—he didn't want them to see him as a freeloader. Yeah, he was with Magnus now, but he was still just a sailor.

"Move those ropes! Tie them well!" Ragnor shouted.

All the men around Alec moved in perfect synchrony and he couldn't help but smile. He had always admired that about ships. It didn't matter in what kind of vessel you were, all ships, even pirate ships, had to have some sort of order to work properly.

"Alexander!" Magnus shouted from the quarter deck, throwing him his spy-glass. It had become some sort of tradition between them. Whenever they arrived to a place, Magnus let Alec use his spy-glass to catch a glimpse of the port.

Alec caught the device in the air and with a smile observed the tiny island. It was slowly taking shape before his eyes. The setting sun was casting long shadows all over the buildings, making them look more impressive than they were. The Spiral Labyrinth looked like a golden paradise of tall buildings and colorful corners.

"Prepare to make port!" Magnus shouted; the docks were a few feet away from them.

Alec helped some men to drop the anchor, while others set the gangplank. In less than it took to say the name of the island out loud, the ship was securely tied to the docks and the crew was descending.

"Alexander!" Magnus shouted again, now walking toward him. "Wait for me!"

Alec smiled and waited. Half the crew was already making their way to the town, all of them eager to have a decent meal and probably get drunk for the night.

Ragnor and Raphael passed hand in hand next to him, and as Alec observed them, he couldn't help but wonder if Magnus was going to hold his hand as well. They hadn't talked about what they would do when they arrived to the island, if they would act as a couple or not, but Alec hoped things were the same as they had been in recent days.

He knew that what they had was very new, but that didn't make it less stron-

Magnus hugged him from behind, taking him by surprise. "Are you ready to go?" The pirate asked, leaving a kiss on his cheek.

Alec nodded.

"Then, let's go." Magnus said, taking Alec's hand and squeezing it tightly.

Alec grinned and with a happy heart, walked with Magnus to the chaotic town.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus had always loved the Spiral. This island had been a safe heaven for him in all his years of piracy, but arriving to it had never felt quite as perfect as it felt at that precise moment. Magnus knew that the source of that renewed feeling lay in the fact that he had Alec by his side, and although that probably sounded very cheesy, he didn't care. It was true, everything was better with Alec by his side.

Magnus was happy and trying to treasure every minute he got to spend with the boy. He knew that things could change tomorrow, so just for today, he was allowing himself the chance to feel as if nothing bad could happen...as if this happiness he felt inside could last forever.

"Are you alright?" Magnus asked, when he noticed that Alec had frozen in place. They were outside the tavern, a few feet away from the door.

"Yes, I'm fine, it's just that…" Alec hesitated.

"What?"

"Hmmm...don't laugh, okay?" Alec said. "It's just that well, I just remembered that the last time we were here there was a line of...people looking forward to seeing you. So yeah, I'm not so sure if I feel comfortable enough to go in there." He pointed to the door.

"Do I detect a tone of jealousy?"

"No, just hesitation." Alec admitted. "I know you have a past, and I respect that. I'm just not sure if I'm going to enjoy when they all come to greet you as effusively as they did the last time. Remember what you said about not wanting to share me with the crew? Well, I don't enjoy sharing either."

Magnus smiled. "Do you really think I would let them do that?"

Alec shook his head.

"Then don't be silly, Alexander. We are together. For me there's only you, okay?"

"Okay."

They entered the tavern still holding hands and immediately made their way to the table where Raphael and Ragnor were already seated, chatting animatedly with Catarina. Magnus saw some familiar faces popping up here and there, Imasu, Axel, Etta...but none of them tried to approach him. He was almost certain they had noticed the resolve with which Magnus was holding Alec's hand, so they only acknowledged each other with a soft and polite smile.

"Well, well, well." Catarina said, looking them both from head to toe and fixing her brown eyes on their intertwined hands. "It seems that some things have changed since the last time you two were here. I see you didn't follow my advice, young man." The woman said, looking at Alec.

Alec blushed.

"What advice?" Magnus asked curiously. "Please, tell me you didn't give him the annoying motherly lecture and ask him to stay away from me."

"I didn't..." Catarina said.

"Then, what did you tell him?"

"That's between the boy and me." Catarina said, pouring beer for everyone.

Magnus rolled his eyes, but dropped the matter. He was in a very good mood and he wasn't going to waste his time arguing with Catarina. He could always get the truth out of Alec later.

"Well, and what brought you back to the Spiral so soon?" Catarina asked.

"We need more crew." Ragnor informed her.

"Are you still chasing that crazy pirate?"

"Aye, and we're very close to finding him." Ragnor admitted. "We just got a potion that will help us track him and soon we'll-"

"A potion to track him?" Catarina raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me you didn't get this famous potion from a Sea Witch. You know how dangerous those creatures are."

They all looked at each other.

"You did." She stated, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "At least tell me you didn't go see that certain Sea Witch. I swear Poseidon should disappear her from the face of the earth, well, sea."

Magnus looked at Ragnor and Raphael. Catarina knew all about Camille and what she had done to Magnus, so naturally, she despised her with a wild passion. Catarina had always been very protective of Magnus.

"Oh, dear God. You went to see her!?" Catarina asked surprised. "Why!?"

"She was our only option." Raphael said. "We were running out of time and we didn't have the means to pay another one, so..."

"And you agreed to that after all that happened!?" Catarina asked Magnus, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I didn't go voluntarily," Magnus admitted, "but yes."

Catarina looked at them all and then exploded, scolding Ragnor and Raphael for their lack of sensitivity towards Magnus's feelings. Magnus appreciated the concern, it proved how much Catarina cared about him, but he wasn't angry with any of them for having taken him there. Yeah, he had almost killed Raphael when he had shared the detail about the potion, but it was now forgotten. In fact, he was grateful for that little detour. First, because it had helped him to get closure with Camille, and second and most importantly, because without what had happened there, he would have never admitted his feelings for Alec.

"Let them be, Catarina." Magnus said. "They did what they had to do. I would have done the same if I had been in their places."

Catarina snorted, but said no more, leaving the table to get some food for them all.

"Well, she's mad at us." Raphael stated the obvious.

"But what she said isn't true, though. We do care about you, you know that, don't you?" Ragnor immediately said.

"I know, my dear Prince, I know." Magnus smiled. "Don't worry about it."

The food arrived and they all cleaned their plates as fast as they could. Their cook was not the best, so it was nice for a little change to have a decent meal after weeks and weeks of the same tasteless food.

"We need to get ourselves a better cook." Ragnor said. "Remember that cook who joined us in Singapore?"

"Aye." Magnus nodded. He was resting the food, enjoying some rum, with his arm placed around Alec's shoulders.

"Was he good?" Alec asked intrigued. He always showed great interest when they shared stories of their days as pirates.

"He was." Ragnor said. "Too bad he left us too soon."

"He left you, like in abandoned you?" Alec asked.

"No, he died." Magnus said. "We were attacked by fellow pirates and during the battle we lost many men, including him. That was one of the things that I loved about the Danube. We never had to worry about being attacked; there was no ship that could match our speed."

"So this attack was after you lost the Danube?"

"Aye." Magnus nodded. "It wasn't that long ago, actually. It was a little after these two met each other."

Raphael and Ragnor smiled at each other.

"And, how did you two meet?" Alec asked curiously.

Magnus smiled. That was one of the things that he had loved about Alec since day one: his insatiable curiosity.

"It's a long story…" Raphael said.

"We have time." Alec said in hopes to get to hear the story.

"Fine…" Raphael exhaled, starting to share his side of the story.

Magnus just leaned his head against Alec's shoulder and listened intently. He had heard it more times than he could remember, but it was always entertaining to hear the different versions that his friends had of the meeting. Magnus had been there when it had happened and he remembered something very different.

The conversation lasted for hours and next thing Magnus knew, the night was at its fullest. They had been laughing and talking, and even joking with Catarina, who at some point had forgiven Raphael and Ragnor and decided to join them.

Magnus looked around at all the faces gathered on the table and his heart filled with a joy he had never felt before. All these people were the closest thing he had to a family. The only ones he cared about, and for whom he would give his own life if necessary.

"Are you alright?" Alec whispered into his ear.

"More than alright, Alexander." Magnus said, leaning over for a quick kiss, but Alec seemed to have a different plan because he pulled him from the lapel and kissed him more passionately.

"Disgusting." Raphael murmured under his breath.

"Jealous?" Magnus quirked a brow.

"Bah!" Raphael exclaimed, rolling his eyes playfully.

Magnus laughed. "Let's go." He murmured Alec, taking his hand. It was late and they still had to move Alec's stuff to Magnus's quarters. Besides, that kiss had left him with a certain need that demanded to be satisfied. "Ragnor, please make sure to recruit more men, okay? Twenty more or something. We'll see you all tomorrow after dawn."

"Aren't you going to stay in town?" Ragnor questioned. "Sleep in a proper bed for once?"

Magnus shook his head. "Alexander and I have other plans, but we'll see you all tomorrow, aye?"

"Aye."

Magnus and Alec walked away from the tavern and headed to the ship. They were in complete silence, but there was no need for words, they were just enjoying their time together, admiring the moon and the stars, which were unusually bright that night.

"Do you know the name of all the stars?" Alec asked.

"No, some of them yes, but no...do you?"

"No, but I want to learn them."

Magnus smiled. Of course he wanted to learn them, he would be surprised to hear otherwise. "Ragnor knows a lot about astronomy, so maybe you could ask him to teach you." Magnus said, helping Alec climb into the ship. The gangplank was a bit slippery and they had drunk a little.

"It's so quiet." Alec pointed out.

They knew the crew was in town. They had the ship to themselves.

"It's just you and me, like when we first got this ship."

Alec smiled. "A lot of things have changed since then. I know it was not that long ago, but I feel like it had been years and not months since then."

"It certainly feels that way, Alexander." Magnus said, kissing him just because he could. "Now, do you want us to move your stuff to the cabin?"

Alec nodded.

They walked to Alec's small cabin, and immediately the boy ran to hide something he had on top of his bed.

"What's that?" Magnus asked intrigued.

"A book." Alec said, closing it and grabbing more books to make it impossible for Magnus to see the cover.

"Let me see it."

"No."

"Alexander…"

Alec rolled his eyes, but handed the book. It was a very familiar red book with golden letters. Magnus had last seen it a few weeks ago in Cartagena. It was the book that Magnus had told Alec that had been his favorite when he was younger.

"Did you steal this from the Silent Brothers?" Magnus asked in disbelief.

"Maybe." Alec said, blushing. "Well, yes. I was curious to know why it was your favorite."

Magnus laughed. "You're full of surprises, Alexander." He admitted, smiling fondly at the boy. "And, what are your thoughts about it?"

"I'm still reading it."

Magnus smiled and picked up the other books from Alec's hand. They all were part of the set that they had stolen from the brothers. "Any other hidden possession?"

"No, just my clothes." Alec pointed to all the clothes scattered in the room. He didn't have a wardrobe like Magnus so there was no place for him to put them but the floor.

"I'll help you pick them up." Magnus said.

"Don't worry, just take the books and my map." Alec said, smiling fondly at the scroll that Magnus had given him. "I'll take care of the clothes." He added, quickly gathering them and putting them in a sack.

"Okay." Magnus nodded, heading toward the door. "Don't forget your coat." He said, picking up a coat that was on the floor by the door and throwing it to Alec. "I can keep you warm enough, but-"

A folded piece of paper fell from one of the pockets. Alec picked it up immediately.

"What's that?"

"Nothing." Alec said, putting it aside. "My notes about the treasure."

"Okay, well, I'll go put this in my, I mean, our quarters. I'll see you there, okay? Don't take long!"

"Okay."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! See you all next Friday!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I know I promised this chapter for Friday, but when I got home I was super tired and yesterday was a bit chaotic. But here it is! I really hope you like (though I know you're going to kill me). Anyway, I won't say much here, just enjoy it :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

Alec gathered the rest of his clothes and looked around the room to make sure nothing was missing. It was not that he had a lot of possessions, but he didn't want to leave anything behind. The cabin would soon be occupied by someone else and he wouldn't have the opportunity to recover anything once that happened.

Satisfied with the quickly inspection, he walked to the nightstand to extinguish the single candle that illuminated the room, but stopped once he reached it. There was something he had to take care first before joining Magnus...the folded piece of paper that seemed to burn from inside his pocket—the gift that Camille had given him.

With all that had happened with Magnus in the past days, Alec had completely forgotten about it, so he hadn't even had the chance to see what it was. It looked like some sort of map, so he opened it carefully and gasped a bit surprised. It wasn't a map like he had first thought, but a text, and for some reason the handwriting seemed oddly familiar, though he didn't know why.

He started reading the first sentence and immediately knew why he had recognized the handwriting, it was Raphael's, and what Camille had given him was what looked like a copy of the transcript they had been working on for weeks.

Alec rolled his eyes.

He was almost certain that Camille had thought he had been left in the dark with all the legend about the treasure and that was why she had asked him to remember who had helped him once he knew what there was to know, but she had been wrong. He already knew about the treasure, so he took the piece of paper and put it on the flame. The bottom right side began to burn, and as he watched it being consumed by the flames, his eyes landed on the very last line.

 _"...embrace death since this will be your grave."_

Alec frowned in confusion and extinguished the fire before it could consume the text. He didn't remember that line as part of the original transcript, and suddenly, he was curious to know why this one ended differently than the one he had, so he read it.

 _"Upon my many travels I have been fortunate to hear countless of stories describing the existence of powers beyond any man's beliefs."_ Alec started reading. It was the same introduction he had read countless of times in the past few weeks. _"For years I have denied their authenticity thinking that what can't be proved mustn't exist; it wasn't until I experienced one myself that I started to believe them._

 _"Hidden in an island in the middle of the sea lies a treasure whose power is so great that only God Himself could have created. People call it the treasure of all treasures, but it's actually the treasure of an angel. Before God named the seven archangels—_ _Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Ramiel and Sariel—_ _there was one that out-stood from them all, his name was Raziel. He was the Keeper of Secrets, the Angel of Mysteries. Among his many responsibilities, he was in charge of protecting a treasure that God had entrusted him_ _—the most powerful and dangerous treasure of them all._ _The treasure consisted of the combination of three incommensurable forces: the power of man's will, the vitality of all living beings, and the force of nature itself. Whoever had the good fortune to possess it would be able to control and change the world at will._

 _"For years, Raziel watched over and took care of such precious possession until one day, when Lucifer betrayed God and was cast out of heaven, his secret was revealed and the existence of the treasure was exposed. Fearing that its location had been compromised, Raziel decided to hide it among mortals, but since he couldn't hide such powers in plain sight, he created a set of instruments—mortal instruments that contained in themselves the destructive forces that God had entrusted him: the power of man's will in the form of a Sword, the vitality of all living beings in the form of a Cup, and finally, the force of nature itself in the form of a Mirror._

 _"Carrying his instruments and under God's protection, Raziel traveled to the mortal world looking for places to hide them, but no place on Earth seemed to be suitable for the task. To his eternal relief, and after roaming the mortal world for years, Raziel finally stumbled across the rightful place to hide his secret. 'Fortified by nature and designed to curse anyone who dares to take possession of it, the treasure lies hidden within one of its very own forces.' The combination of the other two are the key that the Angel gives to those whose intentions are noble. 'That who is worthy of the love of God is worthy of this treasure and must look inside His Mouth to find its possession. Let the Star of Bethlehem to guide your path and you'll find both ingress and egress.'_

 _"According to Raziel, when Lucifer defied God, the good Angels who resisted temptation were admitted into the immediate vision of God and became firmly rooted in virtue, making a permanent and indelible choice to submit to the love of God. Only someone of pure heart and whose blood has been blessed by the Angel himself will be worthy of this treasure. Betrayal brought these powers to the mortal world, so it's from betrayal that the one who is worthy to hold the power to control the world at will must be born; if wrong hands try to take possession of it the Angel himself shall descend from heaven and send a curse upon them. 'That who steals and compels by greed, by greed would be consumed.'_

"What the-" Alec continued reading. There were parts in this text that he had never read before. _Only someone of pure heart and whose blood has been blessed by the Angel himself will be worthy of this treasure? What did that even mean?_ He sighed, resuming his reading.

 _"To err is human and the Angel knows that forgiveness is born of repentance, for if you forgive others when they sin against you, God will also forgive you. So those whose shoulders bear the brunt of the curse already, shall be blessed with a gift—a gift whose value is greater than the three forces combined. 'If you're looking for forgiveness, let my blood to wash your sins. No matter if Eve or Adam, the blood is the same alike. Place it where it was hidden and return all what was lost, but remember that only the firstling will be gifted by the grace of God."_

Alec stopped. The text had never made much sense when it came to describing the treasure, it was clear that over time Jonathan had lost some of his lucidity, but still, there were things that were very clear to him. _Only the firstling will be gifted by the grace of God…the firstling…the firstborn._ He thought.

"No, no, no, no, no." Alec shook his head, resuming his reading. Before drawing conclusions, he had to finish reading, there were just a couple of sentences left.

 _"Blood calls to blood, so let Raziel's blood to help you find the way back; ask a creature of nature for a brew, for they can point what the stars overlook. And if like myself from the curse you're still a slave, embrace death since this will be your grave."_

Alec reread the text several times to make sure he had understood everything.

"This can't be." He whispered to himself.

His mind and heart refused to believe it. According to this text, things were very different from what he had been told. Valentine didn't need Jace's blood to break the curse, but Alec's, and he needed it because Alec was Robert's firstborn—the blood of the Angel himself coursed through his veins. Jace's kidnapping had been a mistake, usually the position of Commander of the Clave Guard rested on the shoulders of the firstborn, so if something happened to his brother it would be Alec's fault. He had turned down that position.

"Oh, God."

There was also the fact that the potion that Camille had given them could only work with Alec's blood. He could track the treasure because blood called to blood and he had Raziel's blood.

"No, no, no, no, no." Alec shook his head, still refusing to believe it. Magnus would never hide any of this from him, _right?_ This was certainly some kind of trick from Camille. She was jealous and wanted to separate them. But in that moment all the warnings he had received about Magnus flashed through his mind.

Catarina had advised him to be careful and to never trust him completely, _"don't forget that he's a pirate."_ She had told him. And for some reason Camille's words kept coming back to him. _"He's a pirate. He's selfish...he never acts out of compassion. He always has to get something in return. He's not the good person you think he is."_

Alec felt his heart breaking into pieces. _How could he be so blind?_ All the signs had been there, but he had refused to see them. He felt so stupid. He had given Magnus his trust and his heart, and the pirate had just played with both. He had betrayed him and used him as a part of his sick game.

Alec crumpled the piece of paper and slammed his fist against the small table. He was so angry with himself and with Magnus that his first instinct was to go and face the pirate, demand an explanation, but he stopped before reaching the door. He knew that face him would not change anything. They would just follow the original plan and go to the island where Valentine was, and now that Alec knew he couldn't trust Magnus, he wasn't going to risk his brother's life for him; it was clear that Magnus only cared about his stupid ship.

"You have to calm down." He whispered to himself. He knew he had to calm down in order to concentrate and think of what to do. He had no other option.

Alec took a deep breath and tried to think. He wasn't sure how yet, but he wasn't going to let Magnus play with him. He wasn't going to act impulsively as he had been doing. He would find a way to make this work in his favor.

"Two can play this game." He whispered when an idea came to him. It was crazy and it would require a lot of luck, but if he managed to pull it off, it would not only ensure rescuing Jace, but preventing the death of innocent people.

 _But, how was he going to do that?_ He didn't think he had it in him. It was not part of who he was to use people for his own benefit, but he had to do it, for his family...for himself.

Alec took a deep breath and put his act together. "You can do this." He encouraged himself. "You can do this." He said one last time, closing the door and heading to Magnus's cabin.

His heart was in pieces and he felt like dying, but during these past weeks he had learned to lie and cheat like pirates did, and that was exactly what he was going to do...act like a pirate and deal with the consequences of his actions later.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus was reorganizing the few drawers they had when Alec entered the cabin. The boy was carrying a sack with his clothes over his shoulder. "What do you think of this? Left side for me, right for you." He announced with excitement. "We can change them if you want." He added promptly, when he noticed that Alec was still silent. He looked pensive, distracted.

"Is everything okay, Alexander?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine...just tired." Alec said, but Magnus noticed how strange the boy was acting.

"What's wrong?" Magnus asked. "If you're having second thoughts and you don't want to stay here, it's fine...you don't have to. We can take all your stuff back to your old cabin."

Alec shook his head. "No, it's fine...I'm just tired." He said, busying himself with the clothes he had brought.

Magnus shrugged and just helped him. They remained silent just putting Alec's clothes inside the small drawers. It was such a domestic activity that Magnus couldn't help smiling. Pirates, and especially pirates who lived permanently aboard their ships, weren't very domestic, so sharing a cabin with someone else was as domestic as they could get, and Magnus was happy to be sharing that with Alec and only Alec.

"Now it's official!" Magnus announced when they finished folding the pile of clothes. "This is now _our_ cabin." He said with a smile.

Alec smiled back, but Magnus saw that there was something different about it—it didn't reach his eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course, I'm just tired." Alec said. "You mind if I just go to sleep?"

"No, not at all. Let me join you." Magnus said. "Ragnor and Raphael will be here with the new crew after dawn, so we can sleep for a few hours."

Alec just nodded, taking off his boots and coat, and getting into bed. Magnus joined him, and a bit hesitant, lay down beside him. Alec was acting a bit strange and suddenly Magnus didn't know what to do, but when Alec didn't flinch or turned around to avoid him, Magnus relaxed. Maybe Alec hadn't lied and he was, indeed, just tired.

"I'm cold." Magnus said, snuggling closer to Alec and leaving a kiss on his neck.

Alec's eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly, as if he were already asleep, but Magnus knew he was not.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine."

"I don't know why, but I don't believe you. Is the wave of the impending battle against Valentine finally hitting you as well?"

"Yeah…something like that."

Magnus smiled. He knew something was bothering Alec, he knew it. "Well, I'll use your own words. _'There's nothing to worry about. We have each other's backs, so stop worrying.'_ Nothing bad will happen...I promise."

Alec didn't reply and they just fell into a peaceful silence that lasted for a few minutes until Alec finally spoke.

"Can we go see the sunrise from one of the docks before sailing?"

"Of course, my love." Magnus said with a smile. "If that's what you want, we certainly can."

"Thanks."

"Sleep tight, Alexander."

"Hmmm, you too."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec had been awake all this time just pretending to be asleep. It had taken a huge sacrifice on his part to pretend that everything was fine between them. Every moment, every touch and every word from Magnus were like knives plunged into his heart. He hadn't felt this kind of pain before, but he couldn't dwell on it too much. He had a plan to put in motion.

Being careful not to wake the pirate, Alec got out of bed and tiptoed his way outside. The night was at its darkest part, so he knew that dawn was near. And if dawn was near that only meant that he had to prepare everything for what he had in mind. He knew he would have only one shot to make it work so he had to be very, very careful.

Quietly, he walked to the armory and took what he needed from there, making a couple of stops on his way to Magnus's cabin. Some members of the old crew were already boarding the ship, so he had to be cautious not to reveal his plan yet.

Alec entered the room and allowed himself a few seconds to just look at Magnus. The pirate was completely asleep. He looked so innocent, so harmless that Alec's heart broke even more. _How was it possible that Magnus had played with him like he had?_ He couldn't believe it. After all they had lived together, after all they had shared.

Alec shook his head.

"Magnus, wake up." He whispered, poking him gently. "It's time."

Magnus blinked a little. "Good morning, Alexander."

"Good morning."

Magnus frowned. "You smell like rum, have you been drinking?"

"Maybe…" Alec admitted. He had, in fact, taken a few sips on his way there just to have the courage to do what he had to do.

"Why? You don't like rum."

"I needed it to wake up." He lied.

"Well, it was your idea to go see the sunrise, my love." Magnus pointed out, getting out of bed.

"I know."

They both got ready as fast as they could and headed to the docks. Alec had already expressed his desire to go see it from the farthest one, so Magnus was just following him while they skirted around all the docks. It was a small island, but it had more docks than many other cities, including Alicante.

"I've always loved sunrises." Alec said when they reached the last dock. It was hidden away behind some wracked ships on the far side of the island. There was no one around, it was completely deserted.

"Why?"

"Because they represent new beginnings." He confessed, trying to keep his emotions at bay. Doing what he was about to do required all his self-control.

He moved toward Magnus and grabbed his hand, Magnus immediately got closer and hugged him. Alec couldn't help but react willingly to the contact. His mind was telling him to step back and focus, but his body was telling him otherwise. He wanted Magnus, despite everything, he still wanted him, so when the pirate put his lips on his, he didn't complain and just kissed him back, allowing himself to get lost in the feeling for a moment. This was going to be their goodbye kiss, so he poured everything he had into it.

Magnus groaned, and Alec took that as his cue to proceed with his plan, so taking advantage of the position, he took Magnus's hands and put them behind the pirate's back. He felt Magnus smiling in triumph and intensifying the kiss. Alec knew that the pirate was thinking they were going to do something very different, so he let him believe that until he had him trapped against the dock's railing and Alec's own body.

"I like it when you take control." Magnus said between kisses.

"I know." Alec replied, slowly pulling from his pocket a set of handcuffs and securing them around Magnus's wrists and the railing.

"Alexander, what the-"

"How much of my blood do I need to pour in the potion to make it work?"

"What?"

"You heard me." Alec said. He had taken a few steps back to stay away from Magnus's reach. He couldn't allow himself to get distracted again. He had to ask fast and go. He had to take over the Avenger before Ragnor and Raphael returned to the ship. That was his plan. He was going to steal the ship and go on his own to rescue Jace.

"Alexander, this is not funny. Release me."

"Answer me!" Alec demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about, you're not making any sense." Magnus said. He looked disturbed and surprised.

"I know the truth!" Alec snapped, throwing Magnus the copy of the transcript that Camille had given him.

"How did you-?"

"Get this?" Alec completed the question. "You ex gave it to me. I think she's more honorable than you after all."

"Stop, please stop, let me explain."

"Explain what!?" Alec shouted, losing his temper. "That you lied to me? That you used me?"

"That's not true."

"Of course it's true! You only wanted me to get your ship back, I was just a bargaining chip for you, wasn't I?"

"No, I-"

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not lying, at first yes, you were, but then things changed." Magnus said. "Alexander-"

"Nothing changed, Magnus! You used me!"

"Alexander, please don't...remember what I told you yesterday's morning? You promised you wouldn't forget how important you are for me."

"And, how am I supposed to believe you if you've been lying to me all this time?"

"I was afraid of your reaction, okay? I screwed up, but don't-"

"Shut up! Just shut up! I don't want to hear you." Alec said. He couldn't bear to hear the distress in Magnus's voice. It was painful and just made everything more difficult to handle.

"You have to let me explain." Magnus cried out. "Yeah, at first my plan was to trade you for the Danube. My ship was all I cared about, but that changed, Alexander, you are the only thing that matters to me, only you."

Alec shook his head and walked away. He couldn't stay there listening to this man's lies. He had to go and never look back.

"Where are you going?" Magnus asked desperately. He was trying to free himself, but Alec had made it impossible without the key.

"To get my brother back."

"Alexander...Alec...you can't go on your own. He's going to kill you!"

"I don't care, I have nothing to live for."

"And, what about us?"

"There's no us…" Alec said, feeling how those words ended up breaking what was left of his heart.

"Alexander!"

"Goodbye, Magnus." He said, looking at the pirate one last time and walking away.

"Where's my pistol?" Magnus shouted in a desperate attempt to draw Alec's attention before it was too late.

"I'm not leaving you to die." Alec replied, remembering that when you left a pirate to die, it was tradition to give them a pistol with a single shot so that they could end their life if necessary.

"You are, Alexander. You are..." Magnus said, "aku cinta kamu."

Alec stopped dead in his tracks. He knew what those words meant. He remembered that Indonesian poem that Magnus had translated for him perfectly.

"For what it's worth," Alec said in a low voice, he knew that Magnus could still hear him, "I think I do too." He added, walking away and leaving behind his heart, and the pirate who had stolen it.

* * *

 **I'm sorry! Don't hate me, okay? I'll fix this, I promise.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello again! I was a bit behind on schedule, so that's why I couldn't post a new chapter this past Tuesday, but don't worry, I'm back on track, so we'll go back to our regular posting system lol. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! We're almost reaching the end of this adventure, so I really, really hope you stick with me and our pirates ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

After making sure someone could find Magnus and convincing the few members of the crew who were already on the Avenger to go with him, Alec did what he had to do and sailed away from the Spiral as fast as he could. He didn't have many men with him, just twelve if he included himself, but it didn't matter. The barest minimum number of men to keep a ship operating were six and Alec had twice the number, so he wasn't worried. His only concern was to get away from the port without being caught.

The sun was completely out and casting bright reflections on the sea, so that only meant that if Alec's plan had worked properly, Raphael or Ragnor should be on their way to free Magnus. He had left a set of instructions for them to find him. He hadn't lied when he had said he wasn't leaving Magnus to die. It was, in fact, quite the opposite. He had not only left Magnus behind for what he had done to him, but also to protect him, and with that also Ragnor and Raphael. He knew that the pirates had never liked him completely, but they had become some sort of acquaintances and he cared about them.

Alec sighed. His life had turned upside down the day Valentine and his crew had decided to attack Alicante. _'No…'_ He thought. His life had turned upside down the day his father had decided to hide who he really was. If there was someone to blame for Valentine's attack, that was his father. He had ruined everything with his lies and-

"Hmmm, captain?" One of the men said, clearing his throat and interrupting Alec's train of thought. Alec still shuddered every time one of the men called him _'captain.'_ He had always wanted to be one, but never like this. Never at the expense of someone else, much less at the expense of the person he lov-

Alec shook his head to avoid thinking about...well, what he had left in the Spiral. "What do you want, Elias?"

"The winds are blowing East, captain. Do you want us to sail in that direction to gain some more distance? Or, do you have a different heading?" He asked.

Alec hadn't used the potion to get the course they had to follow. He had been so worried about getting out of the Spiral before Magnus could go after them that he had completely forgotten about it.

"Hmmm, we will have a heading in a few seconds." Alec said, pulling from his pocket the potion and the map Magnus had given him. He had had them with him the whole time just in case his plan failed and he had to flee from the Spiral by his own means.

"Aye, captain." Elias said, waiting very patiently for Alec to give him new instructions.

Alec had appointed Elias as his Quartermaster as soon as the man had agreed to support Alec in his impromptu mutiny. He knew that from all the men, Elias was the most skilled sailor. Alec had been working alongside him for weeks, he had seen how capable he was.

"I need you to get me a knife." Alec said.

Elias immediately handed him his own knife.

"Thanks." Alec added, unrolling the map and placing it on top of a barrel.

Alec could feel Elias's eyes on him. Surely the pirate was questioning Alec's methods to determine a heading. Most captains limited themselves to look at their compasses or be guided by the stars, but Alec couldn't do any of that, the place where they were going couldn't be found with the stars or a compass; he would have to use more barbaric and unbelievable methods to determine their next stop.

"Would you like me to bring you a compass, captain?" Elias questioned.

"No, just hold this." Alec said, instructing Elias to keep the map unrolled.

Alec took a deep breath, and using Elias's knife, slashed his left hand, leaving a long gash about the size of an apple in the palm of his hand.

"Captain!" Elias exclaimed, immediately dropping the map and trying to help cover Alec's wounded hand.

"No, I'm fine!" Alec said. "Pick up the map, we need the blood."

Elias frowned in confusion, but did what Alec had commanded him.

Alec grabbed the potion and poured a few drops of his blood in it. The potion changed from green to red to blue before their eyes.

"By Poseidon!" Elias whispered, looking at the potion with astonishment.

"Do you remember the stop we made on that island a few days ago?" Alec asked, Elias just nodded. "A Sea Witch brewed this for us." Alec said, pouring the mixture on the map.

At first nothing happened, the liquid just spread all over the small map, wetting it completely. But suddenly some small specks of light began to flicker across the paper, leaving a golden path from where they were—a few nautical miles away from the Spiral—to a point near the Caribbean.

Alec immediately put a mark with the knife where the trail stopped. "That's where we need to go." Alec announced.

Elias was looking at the map with some sort of adoration mixed with fear. "Captain, you weren't lying when you said we were going after something beyond our beliefs, weren't you?"

"I'm afraid I wasn't." Alec said.

Elias took a deep breath. Alec noticed how the pirate couldn't take his eyes away from the now enchanted map. It was as if he were hypnotized.

"Tell the men to raise all the sails and to ease out the mainsail as far as possible, we'll be running downwind." Alec said, rolling up the map and putting it into his pocket. "Apparently the God of the Sea wants us to get there fast."

"Aye, aye captain." Elias said, walking away.

Alec ripped a strip from his shirt and bandaged his left hand. It hurt, but not so much, he hadn't wounded himself deeply, he knew he might need his hand for something when the battle began.

"I'm on my way, Jace." He said, turning the helm and pointing the bow to the East. "I'm on my way, brother."

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus's wrists were bleeding of how much he had tried to free himself from the handcuffs, but the physical pain he felt was nothing compared to the pain he felt inside. Watching the love of his life go had been the worst experience of his life so far. The day he lost the Danube was stamped on his mind, the image of Valentine sailing away with his ship still haunted his dreams, but watching Alec leaving him was now tattooed on his heart.

He couldn't stop thinking about the last words they had said to each other. Alec loved him too, but he had left him, and all because of Camille. That witch didn't get tired of ruining his life.

"Damn it!" He exclaimed, shaking the handcuffs against the railing as hard as he could, but it wasn't working, and he was desperate. He didn't know Alec's plan, but it wasn't hard to guess. The boy had said he was going to rescue his brother and for that he would need a ship—the Avenger. It was almost empty when they had left in the morning, but Magnus knew it had enough men to be operated.

Magnus shook his hands in despair and growled frustrated.

"Dios mío! What happened to you?" A familiar voice said.

It was Raphael. He was looking at him in confusion. He was holding a piece of paper in his right hand.

"Alec found out the truth and left. Camille gave him the copy of the transcript we gave her as payment."

"I knew the handwriting looked familiar." Raphael said.

"What?"

"He left us this letter with Catarina," Raphael said, "and this." He added, raising a key.

Magnus smiled despite his sadness. Of course Alec had left the key somewhere. He had clearly said he wasn't leaving Magnus to die.

"Let me get you out of those." Raphael said, getting closer to him to set him free. "So... did he leave on his own?"

"I guess not, some of the men were already boarding the ship when we came here."

"He took the Avenger!?" Raphael asked alarmed, and at the same moment a very out-of-breath version of Ragnor came running from the docks.

"Oh, thank God you're both here! Something's happened! The ship is gone! I don't know who, but someone has taken the ship!" Ragnor said.

"Alec took it." Magnus said simply. He had already guessed it.

"What!?"

"The boy toy found out everything and stole the ship." Raphael explained. "He left this idiot tied here as a goat. The letter was from him."

Ragnor gasped. "And...and, how did he convince the men to betray you?"

"You both should stop underestimating his abilities. He's smarter than you think." Magnus said.

Raphael rolled his eyes. "You only say that because you like him." He said, quickly ripping Magnus's coat to cover his practically flayed wrists.

"I like him," Magnus said, wincing in pain for the improvised bandages that Raphael was putting around his wrists, "but that doesn't affect my opinion about him. He's smart, funny, unpredictable, skillful and-"

"Stupid." Ragnor and Raphael said in unison, Magnus shot him some killing eyes.

"And, what now?" Ragnor asked. "We have no boat, so…"

Magnus thought about it for a minute. He knew what he wanted and had to do, he just needed to come up with a plan to make it happen. He could-

"I got it!" He exclaimed, when an idea came to mind.

"Wait, wait, wait." Raphael interrupted. "Before you say anything, please, please tell me that whatever you have in mind doesn't involve us going after him."

Magnus smiled a big smile. "Oh, but it does, my friend. It does...and that's exactly what I want. I wanna go after him."

Raphael shook his head. "We don't know where the bloody island is, your boy toy was the only one who could find it."

"We could still find it."

"Yeah, we could, and let's say that in some kind of miracle we do find it...that's not going to solve the issue. I hate to break it to you, amigo, but by the time we get there, he's going to be dead. The solstice is in less than a week, Magnus—he's a dead man. Let's just go back to the tavern, we can heal those wrists and then, I don't know...we could get a ride to Singapore or steal a new ship."

"No." Magnus said firmly. "I have to get Alec back."

"He's going to die, Magnus." Raphael said. "Forget about him, let him go!"

"Never! I can't do that."

"Why not? We're pirates, por el amor de Dios! We see people die every day, it's not a big deal. If you want to get yourself another man, we could go to Majorca and-"

"I don't want another man, I want Alec. I love him, okay?" Magnus confessed. He hadn't been completely honest with his friends about his feelings for Alec. He had just told them he was having a great time with him while he could, not that he had fallen for the boy. "There, I said it, happy? I don't know when or how, but I fell in love with him, so no, I can't let him go. In all the years I've been around I've never felt anything as strong as my feelings for Alexander, and you both know I've been around for quite some time."

Raphael and Ragnor shared a look.

"You can't be in love with him," Raphael said, "that boy is not for you. He's the son of the Inquisitor of the Clave."

"No, he's not. He's the son of a pirate. Robert may now dress like some cheap aristocrat, but that doesn't erase his past. He's a pirate and he will always be nothing more than a filthy pirate."

Raphael and Ragnor shared yet another look. Magnus knew there was a silent conversation going on between them.

"You both can stay here if you want, I'm not asking you to come with me. But know that I'm going anyway, I'm not going to let him die."

"How romantic!" Raphael said wryly. "So you're going to let yourself be killed instead."

"If necessary, aye." Magnus admitted.

"You're really in love with him, aren't you?" Ragnor questioned.

"Rag…" Raphael intervened.

"I need to know." Ragnor said. "Mate, are you truly in love with him?"

Magnus sighed. "Yes. He's the one for me, my sweet Emerald Prince."

"Then we'll go with you." Ragnor said.

"What!?" Raphael complained.

"My love," Ragnor said, grabbing Raphael's hand and lacing their fingers together, "I traveled the world to save you, remember? I know what it feels like to lose the love of your life. We can't let him go on his own. He needs us."

"Fine." Raphael said. Magnus could see how his tanned cheeks had gotten some color, not doubt due to the part in which Ragnor had referred to him as the love of his life. "But know that nobody is going to join us, so don't expect any of the men to go with us."

"I know," Magnus said, with a smile, "and we don't need them." He knew that for what he had in mind, it was better if he only brought his friends with him.

"Okay, and what's the plan?"

"First we need a boat, could you ask Catarina if she can lend us hers?" Magnus asked Ragnor. "She likes you better."

"And if she refuses?"

"Then we'll steal it, I'm sure she'll understand." Magnus said.

"Aye." Ragnor agreed.

"You both are impossible." Raphael stated, walking back to town. "I'll go get some supplies for the trip...wherever that is."

"What do you have in mind?" Ragnor asked, once they were alone. "You know Alec took the potion with him, there's no way for us to track the treasure."

"I know…" Magnus said, "but there's something else that I can track."

"What?"

"Alec himself."

Ragnor frowned.

"Mermaids, my dear Prince, can help you find the love you lost at sea, remember?" Magnus said as a matter of explanation.

Ragnor's eyes widened in understanding. "And since you love him..."

"...I can track him." Magnus completed the sentence. "As long as Alec's at sea I can always find him."

"Okay...and how are we going to get a mermaid who wants to help? It's not like they are known for being charitable souls. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

"I know, but fortunately for us, I know who to ask." Magnus said with a sly smile. "I think it's time for a certain mermaid to pay for the services rendered nearly two centuries ago."

"I thought the Danube had been your payment."

"No, that was her grandfather's payment...now's her turn."

o-o-o-o-o

After hours of sailing this was the first time Alec was entering the captain's quarters since he had left in the morning. The room looked the same, it was exactly as they had left it, and that made him get a little sad. If things had been different, Magnus would be there with him and-

Alec shook his head to stop thinking about it and just took a deep breath, taking off his coat and placing it on the chair by the desk. Magnus's coat was also there, so he grabbed it, feeling the texture with his fingers. It was unnerving how quickly things had changed. A few hours ago he had stripped Magnus of that piece of clothing and thrown it there, and now...well, now everything was different.

A single tear escaped from his eye, but he wiped it away, shaking his head again in disapproval. He didn't want to cry, that swirl of emotions he had inside was threatening to break him, but he was stronger than that...he had to be.

For years he had watched his sister cry herself to sleep whenever she had boy problems, and he had always thought of that as something silly and overdone. He used to think that Izzy made a storm in a teacup, people couldn't get so attached to each other, but now it was clear that he had been mistaken. People did get attached to someone else to the point that not being with them could break you into pieces.

He walked over to the bed and lay down on Magnus's side, hugging the pirate's pillow as hard as he physically could. _Who would have guessed that loving someone could hurt that much?_ Because it was undeniable, he was madly, insanely, deeply in love with Magnus and the thought of what might have been and never would be was killing him.

"Why?" He asked to the air in hopes of hearing an answer that could ease his pain, but there was none.

At least there was none that was different from the one he already had: because sometimes life sucked and it was probably for the best. A future together couldn't have been possible anyway. Their paths weren't the same, besides, he was almost certain that he wouldn't to live to tell the tale. Valentine was crazy and God knew how much of his blood he would need to lift that stupid curse, so it was better for everyone if Magnus wasn't there. That way he'd only have to make sure that his brother was safe and could escape from Valentine. If he died while trying, well, at least it would be with a clear conscience that innocent people hadn't died because of him, and that despite all, Magnus was well and alive. Ship-less, but alive.

Alec inhaled deeply and the smell of sandalwood, seawater and rum that distinguished Magnus hit him so hard that the tears he had refused to shed escaped his eyes in large waterfalls that soaked the pillow in seconds.

 _Why did it hurt so much? How could people live after this?_ It was too much pain for a single heart to bear. Alec took the bottle of rum that rested on the nightstand and gave it a sip. He hated the taste, but he wasn't looking for something with a pleasant flavor, he just wanted something to numb the ache he felt inside and that he had been bottling up since the night before.

Alec drank half the bottle in one single gulp. It helped. The burning sensation all over his mouth and throat distracted him from the pain in his heart, so he drank and cried until he reached the bottom of the bottle. It was nice for a change to not feel anything but dizziness, so he clung to the pillow that he was hugging and closed his eyes, not even realizing when sleep finally overcame him.

Alec was only aware of his surroundings again when Elias came into the room and woke him. "Captain, captain, wake up." The man was saying, while shaking him gently.

"What? What happened?" Alec asked disoriented. He didn't know how long it had been since he had fallen asleep, but he figured that at least a couple of hours because he was no longer dizzy and that indescribable pain in his chest was back and in full force. Apparently, alcohol wasn't as effective for heartbreak as people had been saying for years.

"The men spotted a ship nearby, captain. I ordered that all candles were extinguished to avoid confrontation, but I thought you might like to know."

Alec got up with a jump. For some reason his heart was racing, he could feel his own heartbeat through his shirt. _Could it be Magnus?_ A part of him wanted it to be him, the other was hesitant. He had already said his goodbye and he wasn't willing to go through that again.

"You think it might be Captain Bane?" Elias asked tentatively.

"I don't know." Alec confessed, grabbing Magnus's spy-glass and running outside to see if he could catch a glimpse of the other ship.

It was very dark and the moon had dropped enough to hide them in the dark, so there was no imminent threat, but they still had to be very careful. Alec knew they didn't have enough men to win a battle—they were outnumbered.

"They aren't that close." Alec pointed out with relief.

In fact, they were several miles away from them, so that was a good thing, and Elias had already turned the ship sideways to be able to use the long-nines and sink them in case they tried to approach. They were in advantage and that made Alec feel more relaxed.

"Can you see something, captain?" Elias asked.

Alec adjusted the lens and tried to spot the other ship in the shadows.

"Is it Captain Bane?" Elias asked again.

Alec shook his head. He had seen the men in the other ship and it was worse than having Magnus or even Valentine tailing them.

"Then, who is it?"

"It's the Clave."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, as per usual, reviews, favorites, and follows are more than welcomed ;) See you on Tuesday!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello again! Sorry about yesterday, my internet connection died and I couldn't update this story, but everything is fine now and here's the chapter! I really hope you like it. Some of you have shared your concern about the Clave and their involvement in the last chapters of this story, but don't worry, okay? They are as useless as they are in canon (oops), so you have nothing to worry about. This story has many ups and downs, but it will have a happy ending, I promise.**

 **Anyway, there's a sea song featured in this chapter, I didn't write it so the source for that is google (You can send me a PM if you want the link). Also there's a new character so yay!**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

It took Magnus, Raphael and Ragnor almost two days to reach their destination. First, because the small bay where the mermaids usually gathered wasn't as easy to find as the Spiral; it was well hidden in the coasts of Ireland. And second, because the small boat they had borrowed from Catarina wasn't fast. In fact, it was the slowest boat in which Magnus had ever sailed—ever.

"So…we're here and I see no mermaids." Raphael said, stating what he assumed was the obvious.

"What were you expecting? For them to be out and about hanging out on the beach?" Magnus said. He knew Raphael and Ragnor had never seen a mermaid. In fact, very few people could say that they had seen one. Over the years, mermaids had been becoming more and more of a myth, even though they were as real as any other creature.

"No, but at least I was expecting something that made it clear that there are mermaids here. Like something that showed that they really gather here." Raphael said.

"Well, then you're not observing as you should, my friend." Magnus said. "Look at the water." He pointed out. The water looked different when there were mermaids nearby. The surface darkened and became calmer. As if their presence put some sort of spell on it.

Raphael and Ragnor tried to see what Magnus had pointed out, but it was clear that neither of them noticed any difference.

"So…" Ragnor said. He had his eyes fixed on the water, as if trying to spot a mermaid through the dark surface. "Let's assume they are in there, how do we make them come out of the water?"

"We have to sing." Magnus said simply.

"We, what!?" Ragnor and Raphael asked at the same time.

"We sing…mermaids only respond to the sailors' songs."

Raphael and Ragnor looked at each other, sharing some fearful glances.

"Come on!" Magnus exclaimed. "It's perfectly safe, you don't have to do anything but sing with me, and when they approach just don't look them straight in the eye and that's it."

"Why not?" Raphael asked curiously.

"Because you could lose yourself in their spell."

"Well, no problem with that." Raphael said. "I don't think I can ever feel something for a half-fish creature."

"Consciously not," Magnus said, "but they have special powers, some kind of charm that no one can resist, and by no one, I mean not even you, Raphael, so just be careful, okay?"

"Are there any sort of male equivalent to mermaids? Like mermen or something?" Ragnor asked, getting some hard eyes from Raphael. "What, my love? It's clear that I'm not immune to men, so I'm just checking."

"Yes, there are mermen," Magnus said, "but I've never seen one. As far as I know, they aren't very keen to come to the surface to have fun. They are wilder and have little interest in humans."

"Well, that's good to know." Ragnor said relieved.

Magnus took a deep breath. "Ready?"

Ragnor and Raphael shook their heads in what appeared to be a tentative nod, and Magnus started singing the first song that came to his mind. It was a bit old, so he hoped Ragnor and Raphael knew it too.

 _"Love is the traitor of a sailor's life, he cause the girls to lose their hearts' delight. He cause them to sigh, he cause them to mourn, all for my true love, never to return."_ Magnus sang. _"Father, father, build me a boat, out on the ocean I will float. There I'll hail each ship as I pass by, there I'll enquire for my true sailor boy."_

After the first lines Ragnor and Raphael joined, and Magnus smiled. It was a very popular song among sailors, so fortunately they had no trouble catching up.

 _"She went a-sailin' on down the main, she met three ships just out from Spain. There she hailed each ship as she passed by, there she enquired for her true sailor boy."_ They sang in unison.

Magnus knew it was working when he felt a sudden chill in the air. It was very late, no doubt way past midnight; the moon was high above their heads, illuminating everything with its luster.

 _"Captain, captain, tell me true. Do my sweet William sail with you?"_ A choir of voices sang from the water.

"Oh dear God." Ragnor whispered, pointing to the distance.

Magnus and Raphael looked over the water. There, approaching them en masse was a large shoal of mermaids that made every fiber of Magnus's body to shiver. The sight of the group had reminded him of that night when his former captain had sent him to capture one of these deadly creatures of divine beauty.

"Don't stop singing." Magnus whispered, raising his voice only to continue with the song. _"Oh, no fair maid he don't sail here. He's drownded in the Gulf my dear."_

Ragnor and Raphael joined again. _"She ran her boat up against a rock though to all her soul she'd broke her heart. She wrang her hands and tore her hair, just like some lady in despair._ _She called for a chair to sit her down, pen and ink she wrote it down. Oh, the end of every line, she dropped a tear. End of every verse was, oh, my dear."_

The mermaids approached the small boat and Magnus felt shivers all over his body again from his head to the tip of his toe. Now they were within reach, only inches away from them.

 _"Father, father, dig my grave, place a marble stone at my head. Upon my breast a turkle dove, to show to the world that I died for love."_ The group of mermaids finished the song.

Magnus took those seconds to scan their faces, looking for the one he had helped all those years ago, but his search was useless. Mermaids could change their appearances at will to resemble whoever they wanted; something that came in handy when they were trying to drown sailors. They just had to look inside people's heart and make their appearances match the person the sailor already loved or would find easy on the eye.

"Ragnor step back." Magnus said, when he noticed that his friend was leaning over the railing, trying to look closer at the creature that was currently floating in front of him. Raphael had very wisely, tied himself to the mast, so Magnus wasn't worried about him. He knew he was safe.

"Greetings, people of the sea." Magnus said in a polite way. "My name is Magnus, Magnus Bane and I'm looking for one of your own. Daughter of Triton, granddaughter of Poseidon. Her name is..." He said, blanking for a second.

Magnus tried to remember the mermaid's name, but it wasn't an easy task. First, because it had been many years since he had last seen her, and second because Triton had many daughters. There were the popular ones, Aquata, Adrena, Arista, Adena, Adella, Alana and Ariel, and then there were the others. The ones he couldn't remember their names. It was surprising how these gods seemed to not be able to keep it in their pants, or tails, or whatever.

"What was the name again? Rebecca, Francesca, Vanessa, Theresa...that's right!" Magnus exclaimed. "Theresa...Tessa!"

"Tessa?" The mermaid closer to him asked. "Why do you need her if you have me, huh?" She said, getting closer to him, humming a tune to which Magnus was feeling very drawn to. "I can give you what you want."

Magnus got lost in the melody for a second and closed his eyes, opening them again only to discover that the once blonde mermaid, had changed her appearance and now she looked like some sort of female version of Alec. The view was equally amazing and disturbing.

"Am I not what you're looking for?" The mermaid asked, and Magnus, still trapped in her spell, did nothing but nod. He was lost in the mermaid's eyes—those eyes that were like Alec's.

And suddenly, that was all he could see. Alec's eyes looking back at him. Alec's eyes calling him.

"Magnus…" He heard his name being called on the back of his head.

He had always loved the way Alec said his name. It rolled out of his tongue in such a seductive way that it was hard to resist. And this creature was calling him, but her voice didn't sound like Alec's and that was all it took for Magnus to snap out of the spell and step back, shaking his head frantically.

 _Mermaids and their stupid charm._ He thought. He could still feel the dizziness caused by the illusion. _  
_

"Tessa." Magnus said, forcing himself to concentrate again. "I need to see Tessa. You're not her. She and I have an unfinished business."

"I can take you with her if you want, you just have to go with me." The mermaid insisted, but Magnus could now control himself. He just had to remember Alec's voice and that was it.

"She's here." Magnus said. "You don't have to take me anywhere. Tessa? Tessa? Where are you?" He asked, looking at all the beautiful faces gathered around them. "I need your help."

"Mermaids don't help humans, not even humans who have changed their nature to live forever." Another mermaid said, looking at Magnus with distaste. Mermaids were very proud people and this one looked so much like Camille that it was unnerving.

"Oh, but she'll have to help me...she owes me." Magnus said.

"I do not owe you anything." A mermaid said. She was in the back, hiding behind the last row of mermaids.

Magnus immediately turned around to see her. And there, transforming before his eyes, was the woman he had met so long ago—same long brown hair, gray-blue eyes, pale skin.

"There you are!" Magnus said with a smile. "Hello, Tessa. It's been some time...I need your help."

"My sister already told you that-"

"Aye, aye, I know...but you and I have a past together, darling." Magnus said.

He knew that Tessa was different from the other mermaids. They had spent a few days together many years ago and he had learned to know her. She was kind and noble, as well as fearless and protective. Her prideful attitude was just a facade to keep up appearances in front of her people.

"You lost it." Tessa said, approaching him.

"Yeah, Valentine took it from me."

"Not that…" She said, looking him straight in the eye, "the other half of your heart."

Magnus nodded a bit nervous. He had forgotten how unnerving it was when mermaids looked inside your heart. "That's hmmm, that's actually why I'm here. I-I...could you help me find him?"

Tessa looked at him for long minutes, changing her appearance several times, trying to do what the other mermaid had tried, but just like before, it didn't work. Magnus couldn't be fooled—his heart couldn't be fooled anymore.

"You found it." She said, before going back to her familiar appearance. Magnus limited himself to nod. He knew that if there was someone who would understand what he felt for Alec that was Tessa. She had shared with Magnus some bits and pieces of the strong relationship that once she had lived with the two privateers who had discovered the Spiral.

"Your feelings are strong, that's true. You two share a connection." She concluded.

Magnus nodded again. "I-I don't want to lose him."

"You already did." Tessa said simply. "He left you."

"But I can get him back, right?" Magnus asked, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"Maybe, maybe not. It's not up to you. It will be his choice in the end."

Magnus exhaled relieved because it hadn't been a no. Mermaids could read souls and they were brutally honest, so a maybe was the best answer he could hope for after a yes.

"I don't mind if he doesn't stay with me." Magnus said. "I just don't want him to die."

"Then if that's all you want, you shall help him. There is more danger in these waters than what you think."

Magnus nodded.

Tessa looked at him. "The trip won't be easy. You've lived a long time, Magnus, but you haven't been tested. If you decide to go, this will be your test and death could be your only reward."

"I know, and I don't care as long as he's fine." Magnus said. He saw the mermaid meditating for a second.

"I do owe you my life," she said, "so I'll help you find the one you lost, but with this, my debt is paid. You won't be able to ask for my help anymore unless you're willing to pay the price."

"Aye." Magnus agreed.

Tessa turned around to look at the other mermaids and these disappeared in a matter of seconds, taking with them that odd feeling that seemed to have enchanted the atmosphere since they had first appeared.

"I hope you're up for a long trip because the place we are heading is not close. If you want to be there on time, we must leave. There's no time to waste."

Magnus nodded.

"And, how does this work? Do we follow you or what?" Raphael asked. He and Ragnor had been very quiet since the mermaids had approached, certainly very intimidated with their beauty to speak.

"Yes, I will guide your path." Tessa said with a smile.

"Then show us the way, ma'am." Ragnor added.

Tessa stopped swimming and stared at him. Magnus frowned in confusion.

"I know you." Tessa said, making them all to look at each other in puzzlement. "You are the one who used to save slaves in exchange for precious rocks."

"I-I…" Ragnor stuttered.

"My grandfather likes you," Tessa said, "you've done good for his seas. Bear your title with pride, Emerald Prince, you've earned it."

Ragnor smiled proud of himself.

"Couldn't you have kept that to yourself?" Magnus complained. "Now he's going to think he's some sort of hero."

"But he is." Tessa said.

"I am." Ragnor added, making Magnus to roll his eyes in exasperation. He knew he would hear about this little exchange of words for the rest of his life.

 _Mermaids and their damn honesty!_ He thought. "Lead the way, Tessa." He said aloud.

Tessa said no more and just smiled at them, swimming gracefully to the East.

"Ready?" Magnus asked Ragnor and Raphael.

The pirates nodded, helping him to put the small boat in motion.

"Mate?" Ragnor asked. "Are you sure about this? You heard what she said, you could-"

"I am."

"Okay then." Ragnor said, walking away to help Raphael with the sails.

Magnus took a deep breath and looked at the horizon. Wherever Alec was he knew he would find him. He had to find him, even if it was just to see him walk away from him for the second time.

o-o-o-o-o

Alec exhaled. The fact that a fleet from the Clave were sailing the same waters as them had not only delayed them in their quest to find the island, but it had represented a problem that Alec hadn't even considered in the equation. He had thought his father would do nothing to rescue his brother, but apparently he had been wrong. The Clave had vessels patrolling the Caribbean and thanks to that, Alec and his crew were late.

They would have arrived already if they hadn't had to circle around the thousands of islands to avoid being followed. Alec had figured—thanks to the number of vessels they had seen in the past two days—that the Clave had no idea where the island was and he found that strange. Many men behind the most important positions of the Clave had been part of Valentine's crew, but apparently the crazy captain had been smart enough to keep the location of the island to himself.

Something that now that Alec thought about it, he had been more than careless about. Any smart captain would know that the location of an unknown island was something that had to be kept under lock, but he had been a fool. He had shared the location with Elias without thinking about the consequences that such act could have.

 _Well, shit._ He thought, not allowing himself to worry much about it.

He had already done it and there was nothing he could do, but expect that Elias were smart enough to never try to go back there again—if he made it out alive, of course. Elias was the Quartermaster, so it was his duty to be with his captain until the very end, so when Alec finally faced Valentine, the pirate was expected to be by his side, and that lowered his chances of survival consid-

"Captain?" Elias asked, snapping Alec out of his thoughts. He had been distracted thinking as he look at the stars. The night was beautiful and he had always loved stargazing.

"Yes?"

"We're here." Elias announced.

Alec looked up to try to spot something past the railing of the ship, but he couldn't. It was pitch black, so he pulled from his pocket Magnus's spy-glass, and after making a mental note to stop calling it like that _'Magnus's spy-glass,'_ he took a look.

Several miles away from them, Alec could make out what looked like a dark mass on the horizon, but he couldn't tell if it was the island or not. "Are you sure we're here?"

"Yes, captain. The man at the crow's nest saw the lights of what appears to be the Blue Danube, sir. Captain Morgenstern's ship."

"It's not his ship." Alec said absentmindedly.

"We're certain it was the Danube, captain."

"No, I mean, the Danube is not Valentine's ship." Alec explained. "He stole it, but that ship is not rightfully his." He said, walking toward the main mast and climbing to the crow's nest to try to see with his own eyes if they had, indeed, arrived to the island.

"Mind if I take a look?" Alec asked the man who was there.

"Be my guest, captain." The man said.

Alec adjusted the lens of the spy-glass and once again, took a look.

There, among the shadows and some rocks, Alec saw the silhouette of a ship, the silhouette of a ship with blue sails—the Blue Danube. It was true, they had finally arrived.

"Keep a close eye on them." He instructed the man. "We're going to approach the island from the opposite side to avoid them, but let me know if they make any move."

"Aye, aye captain."

Alec went down and shared his plan with the rest of the crew, instructing the men to extinguish all the candles to avoid being spotted. He knew that Valentine must have men watching the ship and the island in case of an attack. The winter solstice would happen in two more days so the crew was probably still aboard the ship.

"Assign some men to keep an eye all night. The Clave is nearby and Valentine can't see us, at least not until we have a plan. If we want to take him by surprise we must be very cautious." Alec told Elias. "Tomorrow we'll explore the island and see if we can find a way to approach the cave from behind."

"Aye, captain." Elias said, moving about to help the men with their tasks.

Alec took a deep breath. He was so close to his brother and yet still so far that it was even more frustrating than before. All he wanted was to go to the Danube and try to save him, but he knew he couldn't afford to do something so reckless. He would only have one chance to make this right and he had to have a well-structured plan for it to work. He just prayed that when that happened, it wouldn't be too late to save Jace.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus was thinking about Alec as he had been doing ever since they had separated from each other. He was leaning on the railing of the boat, watching how the bow cut the water as it made its way across the ocean.

Ragnor had taken over the helm for some hours so that they all could rest, but Magnus had found it impossible to close his eyes, so he had stayed there to think. He was worried about Alec. He knew they would be arriving to the island just in time for the solstice, or at least that was what Tessa had told him, so he couldn't help thinking that maybe he was already too late to save the man he loved.

"He's protected." Tessa said out of nowhere.

She was swimming alongside the boat, showing them the path to follow.

"Who?"

"The boy," Tessa said, "he has Raziel's blood running through his veins. He's blessed."

Magnus chuckled. He didn't think that having Raziel's blood could be call a blessing, it was more like a curse. "I think he's more cursed than blessed, to be honest." He said, voicing his thoughts.

"That's because he's with a cursed man."

"Aye, a cursed man who won't hesitate to kill him, so he's not that protected. Valentine's crazy."

"We're all a bit crazy." Tessa admitted with a smile.

"Maybe...but that man lost his compass, Tessa."

Tessa didn't reply and just kept swimming. Magnus took a deep breath and resumed his reverie. He couldn't stop thinking about Alec and how, if things had been slightly different they could have had a very different story. If Jason hadn't captured him after helping Alec maybe they would have gone on a date that day to get to know each other, maybe they would have fallen in love without all the drama and the lies, maybe they would still be together, maybe what he felt inside wouldn't hurt that much.

"How do you do it?" Magnus wondered aloud. He knew Tessa was still swimming near him. "You sea people have many lovers...does it hurt this much every time you lose them?"

"I'm not like my people, you know that." Tessa admitted.

Magnus sighed. It was true. The mermaid had shared that with him a long time ago. "Have you forgotten about them? The privateers?"

"No. There's not a single day that I don't think about them. Mermaids aren't supposed to fall in love, you know? So when it happens it's forever."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's a connection like no other. Just like with humans, when the heart finds the right one, it's something that cannot be changed."

"I think Alec is that for me."

"I know," Tessa said, "remember that I can see inside your heart."

"Well, it's been a bit chaotic in there lately."

"True, but so is in the hearts of those who are in love."

Magnus smiled. It was curious how at the end of the day everything came back to love. Love was a curse and a blessing; love was the most powerful force in the world. Love could-

"Is it true?" Magnus asked. His train of thought had reminded him of something he wanted to know.

"What?"

"What is said about the curse. Jonathan's text isn't very specific about it. It just says that, _'that who steals and compels by greed, by greed would be consumed.'_ Rumor has it that it also includes losing everything you've ever loved, but no one knows for sure."

Tessa remained silent for a moment. "I don't know Raziel's exact word," she confessed, "but it's true that the curse kills them. It's said that consumes the one who has it. They lose everything they have loved and their lives, as long as these were going to be, are reduced by half. They stop feeling until within them, the only thing left is emptiness."

Magnus meditated the new information for some seconds. He couldn't begin to understand what that would feel like. _The emptiness…_ He had lost Alec, but he still felt something inside him. In fact, what he felt was the reminder that once he had had love in his life. The moments he had shared with Alec were still there as vivid as if they had happened just a moment ago.

"So Valentine doesn't feel anything?"

"No, he doesn't."

Magnus meditated again. _How was he going to defeat a man who felt no more?_ He had to find something, anything, that might help him save Alec.

"Can I ask you something else?" Magnus asked.

"Sure."

"Why does he need three boys to lift the curse? A Sea Witch told me it was because there were three forces, but that doesn't make any sense. Jonathan had no heirs and that was why he died, but even if he had had any, would he have had to have three in order to get rid of the curse?"

"Never trust a Sea Witch completely, Magnus. I thought you had learned your lesson." Tessa said. "And no, you read Jonathan's text. What you need to lift the curse is the blood of the firstborn of the person who took the treasure. _'If you're looking for forgiveness, let my blood to wash the sins. No matter if Eve or Adam, the blood is the same alike. Place it where it was hidden and return all what was lost, but remember that only the firstling will be gifted by the grace of God.'_ Jonathan wasn't blessed with heirs so he died, but Valentine was."

"So that means that Valentine wasn't the only one to grab the treasure that night."

"Exactly. When Valentine found the treasure he was so full of himself that in his arrogance he let his Quartermaster and Boatswain to take two of the three instruments for him."

"Robert Lightwood and Michael Wayland." Magnus said. He knew those two used to come as a package deal.

"If he had grabbed the three mortal instruments by himself, then he would have never needed the two other boys."

"So Valentine's firstborn was a boy, how many more does he have?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I need to know as much as I can about him to save my Alexander. If he has some sort of weakness besides his own greed, I need to know. I'm sure he won't miss the chance to get rid of the curse and Alexander's life is at risk. I need to find something to stop him."

"That's true." Tessa agreed. "Anyone in his place would drain the boys to death to make sure it works."

"So, how many?"

"He had two, the boy and a girl. He doesn't care about any of them, so don't even think about using them." Tessa said. "By the time they arrived to this world, he had no love left in his heart."

"So he has no weakness?"

"As you said his weakness is his own greed. And to defeat him you must use that, but be very careful." Tessa warned him. "You'll be facing a man who has nothing left in him. No love, no remorse, no conscience."

Magnus sighed. He already knew someone like that. "I have some sort of experience with people like him."

"I know that, but he's nothing compared to Valentine." Tessa said. "Unlike him, Valentine still has something to lose that he cares about."

"What?"

"His own life. He won't hesitate to send you with your-"

"I know." Magnus said, before she could complete that sentence.

The very idea of something like that ever happening gave him goosebumps, but he knew it was a huge possibility. He had started this quest to retrieve his ship and he was probably going to end it because of a man. It was amazing how different things were from a few months ago. He knew his old self would have handled things very differently. However, that person was dead, he had died the moment he had let Alec walk into his heart.

"That's not a bad thing." Tessa said.

For a moment Magnus had forgotten she was still somehow listening to the whirlwind of emotions that he had inside.

"I know." Magnus said, thinking about Alec.

Yeah, probably the picture in front of him was not ideal, but he knew that to ensure Alec's happiness, any risk was worth it—even death.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Just as a quick note, yes the other two boys are Jonathan Christopher (aka Sebastian) and Jonathan Wayland. For all of you who haven't read the books, Jace's last name isn't Wayland, so no, it's not him ;)**

 **Anyway, see you all on Friday!**


	16. Chapter 16

**It's Friday and here is the new chapter! The countdown to the end of this story has started, so I really hope you like what I have in store for them! See you on Tuesday!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

It was well into the night when guided by Tessa, Magnus, Raphael and Ragnor arrived to the island. That had been the last place where the mermaid had been able to locate Alec, so they had assumed that the island was the one they had been looking for for weeks. And their suspicions were confirmed when at the distance they could see the Danube, the magnificent ship was anchored on the East side of the piece of land.

 _"Ore Dei."_ Raphael said, as he looked at the island with his spy-glass.

"It appears to be," Magnus agreed, "but we have to move fast and avoid being spotted. If Valentine is on the East side that means the cave is there, so it's better if we run the boat aground a few miles West."

Ragnor immediately turned the helm and they skirted through the island until they reached the opposite side. It was very dark, but something in the water immediately caught their attention, making them all gasp in horror.

There, floating near the shore, were the remains of what seemed to be the Avenger.

"They are dead." Raphael voiced what they all were thinking.

The ship was completely destroyed, there was nothing left of what once had been the best ship in the entire fleet of the Clave.

Magnus stopped breathing. The shock of what he had before his eyes was clouding his senses. It was too late. Alexander was dead. He had failed to save him. He had arrived too late. He had lo-

"Wait here." Tessa said, as she swam away toward the wrecked ship.

Magnus saw her, but his eyes were fixed on the destruction before them. He wondered who had done it, the Clave or Valentine. They had seen a couple of vessels with the insignia of the Clave patrolling the Caribbean, so for once Magnus hoped it had been them and not Valentine, because maybe, just maybe, Alec would still be alive.

"Have some faith." Ragnor said, putting his arm around Magnus for support.

Magnus hadn't realized how much he needed to feel someone by his side until Ragnor approached. He felt as if he were about to faint. His head was spinning and every part of his body was shaking. He had arrived too late. He had really lost Alec forever.

"Why is she taking so long?" Raphael questioned. He was pacing around the small deck of the ship, fidgeting with his hands, clearly as affected by the situation as they all were.

After what seemed like years but were merely a couple of minutes, Tessa came back swimming as fast as she could. "There is no death in these waters...yet." She announced, and Magnus breathed again.

"Then, what happened here?" Raphael asked confused.

"I don't know." Tessa replied.

Magnus looked ahead. Now that he knew Alec was still alive, he could actually allow himself to observe the scene with analytical eyes. The ship was completely shattered, as if a storm had swept through it or they had been under attack, but there was no smoke, or traces of any battle. The crates with supplies and barrels of rum weren't floating in the water, nor the weapons, so that only meant that whatever this was, hadn't been an accident—it had been planned.

"He wrecked it on purpose." Magnus concluded. It was the most reasonable explanation.

"What for?" Raphael asked.

"I don't know yet, he must have something in mind." Magnus said.

"What? To die there and not have any ship to escape?" Raphael said in a mocking tone, as if the flaw in Alec's plan were too obvious.

But Raphael didn't know Alec as Magnus did. He didn't know how the boy's mind worked.

"He has a ship." Magnus said. He was already guessing Alec's plan. "He has the Danube."

"He's going to steal that one too!?" Both, Raphael and Ragnor asked at the same time.

"It's the smartest thing to do," Magnus said, "by sinking the Avenger he left the Danube as the only escape route, and if you ask me that's brilliant because-"

"-the Danube is the fastest ship in all Seven Seas." Ragnor completed the sentence.

"Exactly." Magnus agreed with a smile. He had always admired the way Alec's mind worked. He didn't seem to be aware of it, but he had a brilliant mind with which he could dominate the world if he wanted.

"Well," Raphael said, "I still think he's crazy. I mean, he can't really be expecting to make it out alive of this, right?"

"He's not." Magnus said. He knew Alec all too well to know that the boy wasn't counting on that. He was just securing a way for his brother to escape without being caught.

"Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery." Tessa said, joining the conversation. "Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love."

"So, he's planning on dying there with his brother or what?" Raphael asked.

"No." Magnus said, taking a deep breath. For some reason, Tessa's words had touched him deeply and now he understood everything. "He's sacrificing himself so that Jesse and the crew can take the Danube and flee."

"You think?" Ragnor inquired.

"I'm sure." Magnus said with a sigh.

o-o-o-o-o

After days of watching Valentine and his people, Alec's plan was in motion. The first thing he had noticed was that the crew was divided into two. There was a group of men still aboard the Danube, probably taking care of the prisoners; and another, with Valentine among them, that was in a camp near a cliff where Alec assumed the entrance of the cave was. So he had come up with a very thoughtful five-stages plan.

The first stage had been quite easy, they had sunk the Avenger to leave Valentine and his people with no ship to use but the Danube, and also to guarantee them a free pass in case the second stage went wrong.

The second stage consisted of sneaking into the Danube to alert Jace of his presence and share with him the rest of the plan, which incidentally was the real problem, since stages three and four would take place simultaneously, and these would require a lot of coordination.

In the morning when Valentine and the crew entered the cave to lift the curse, Alec and Elias would enter as well to distract them and allow the rest of the crew to take over the Danube and set it ready to sail. With help from Jace and the rest of the crew who could return in time for the battle, they would fight against Valentine, and when things got to the point that Alec was expecting, he would put stage five in motion and reveal his true identity. He would make a deal with the crazy pirate and ensure that his brother and his crew could sail away.

It was risky, he knew it. A lot of things could go wrong, but that had been the best plan he had been able to come up with in these past few days.

"Captain, are you sure about this?" Elias asked. They were near the shore, hiding behind some bushes, observing the Danube.

"Yes," Alec said, "if I don't warn Jace about our plan, he could ruin everything. We need him to know that we will try to sabotage Valentine's plans tomorrow."

"Alright then, all men are in position, captain." Elias said.

It was way past midnight and they had sent some men to explore the area and ensure that Alec could sneak into the Danube without being caught.

"Great." Alec said. "If things go wrong and I get caught, I will say that my ship wrecked and I'm the only survivor...that way I will avoid execution. But if that happens, I want you to follow the plan we agreed to, okay? In a few hours, when Valentine and his crew enter the cave, take the Danube and sail away. After a couple of days try to come back to see if anyone survived, if so, take them to the Spiral and tell them to ask Catarina Loss for help, she's the owner of the tavern."

"Aye, captain."

"Also, when you're there give this to Magnus Bane." Alec said, handing Elias a letter that he had written the night before when he had found it impossible to close his eyes. "The Danube is his ship, so let him take it back and if you're smart enough, join his crew again. As you've seen these weeks...he's a great captain."

Elias just nodded.

"Well, hopefully I'll see you in a couple of hours." Alec said, getting into the cold water. "Wish me luck." He added, swimming away beneath the surface.

Alec had always been an excellent swimmer, so he had no trouble covering the few miles that separated the Blue Danube from the shore.

As soon as he reached the back of the ship, where he knew Valentine couldn't see him, Alec started to climb using the anchor chain, trying not to draw much attention. He had to get to a safe area as fast as possible. He knew there were at least four men on board the ship. The man in the crow's nest, the other one patrolling the decks and finally the two other that they had seen come out a couple of times. Alec and his crew had assumed they were the only men aboard, but he still had to be very careful. There was a great chance that there were more.

Taking advantage of his physical ability, Alec used the same structure of the ship to get to the gun ports and sneak through there.

Fortunately for him, the gun deck was empty, so he just fastened a rope to be able to escape later and walked silently to the ship's hold, where prisoners were usually held. It was a very small area with no sunlight and no sanitation whatsoever, and it was usually located next to the ballast.

Alec made his way through the very impressive ship but had to stop dead in his track when he saw one of the guards walking toward him. It was very dark so he just ducked and hid behind some barrels, praying that the guard hadn't seen him.

The guard walked right past him and headed to the supplies store. Alec took a deep breath and continued his descent, trying to make as little noise as possible. Although it was a tall order since the ship was made entirely of wood and the floor creaked every time he took a step.

Alec knew he had reached the ship's hold when a smell of dirt and damp hit his nostrils. It was so intense that it made him gag.

He walked in silence, tiptoeing next to the guard who was sleeping there. He seemed to be fast asleep, as if he were drunk, and he was holding a set of keys. Alec was tempted to grab them and free his brother, but he restrained himself. If he freed Jace without taking care of Valentine first, they would have to run for the rest of their lives and that was not what Alec wanted, so he just took a deep breath and instead, grabbed the nearest oil lamp, walking into the cells.

Unlike the Avenger that had only two cells, the Danube had six and to Alec's surprise all of them were full. In the first two were enclosed a black man in his late thirties and a redheaded woman. She looked about the same age as Alec's mother. In the other two were two boys, one with platinum blond hair and the other with dark curly hair. They looked young, so it didn't take long for Alec to know why they were there.

And finally, in the last two cells Alec found his brother next to a girl with curly red hair, not the same red as the color of the woman in the first cells, but more carrot-like. They were leaned to each other through their respective cells and Alec couldn't help but notice that their hands were brushing.

"Jace...Jace..." Alec whispered, trying to wake his brother without alerting the others or the guard of his presence.

Jace opened his eyes a bit disoriented. "Alec?" He asked, looking at Alec with surprise evident on his face.

"Shhh." Alec shushed him. "Yes, it's me."

"What are you doing here!?" Jace exclaimed alarmed. "You have to go!"

"I'm here to rescue you!" Alec said with some anger in his voice. He had gone through hell for his brother, _and this was how he greeted him? How dared he?_ He had been expecting a different reaction from him, perhaps not a teary-eyed, _'you came for me, brother,'_ but at least a, _'I'm so glad to see you.'_

"No! Listen, Alec! This is wrong! You have to go!" Jace said desperately. "He can't see you here! Please go! He's dangerous!"

"Don't worry about me, okay? I have a plan."

"Alec, no!" Jace continued. "You don't understand. Please, go! There's so much going on here, there's so much you don't know. It's completely mental, but believe me, you can't be here! Go and hide, please! This man is out of his mind! Please Alec, go!" Jace practically implored him, and now Alec knew why.

Jace knew the truth and just like Alec was trying to do, his brother was also trying to protect him.

"I know about the curse. I know he needs my blood and not yours, Jace." Alec confessed. "I know everything there is to know, so no, I'm not going anywhere." He said firmly.

"Jace?" The redheaded girl asked, opening her eyes. Apparently their little conversation had awakened her. "What's happening? Who's this?" She asked in a very loud voice.

"Shhh!" Alec exclaimed. He couldn't believe her. _Why did she have to be so loud?_ For a prisoner she wasn't very careful of her own safety.

"He's my...friend." Jace lied.

"No, I'm his brother." Alec corrected him.

"Is he the-" the girl gasped, covering her mouth. Alec saw recognition flashing through her eyes. Apparently she knew about the legend too and not only that, but that Jace wasn't a real Lightwood after all.

"I see you've shared more than enough with her." Alec told Jace.

Jace just rolled his eyes. "Alec, please, go back home, okay? I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"He's going to kill you Jace, you can't ask me to leave you here."

"And he's going to kill you too if you stay." Jace fought back.

"I don't care."

"But I do, and besides, if you go, he won't get what he wants and will eventually die. His time is near...he's sick." Jace informed him.

"Really?"

Jace nodded. "He's completely out of his mind. I've never seen a man so out of himself before. You see all these people?" He pointed to the other cells. "They all are his family and friends." Jace continued. "The guy over there was his Quartermaster after his first crew betrayed him, but he and Jocelyn, the woman next to him, Valentine's wife, fell in love and had an affair behind his back. Now he's planning on killing them both slowly. He's been torturing them since I got here. The two boys are the ones he needs to break the curse, their names are Jonathan and Jonathan, yeah, they have the same name, don't ask why. The blond boy is his son, and the other one is the son of his old Boatswain, some guy named Michael Wayland. Apparently he and dad were the two men in whom Valentine trusted more when all this first happened."

Alec looked at the redheaded girl next to Jace.

"And this is Clary...his daughter." Jace said. "So as you can see, he has no respect for anything or anyone. He's willing to kill his own son to get rid of that stupid curse. He's dangerous!"

Alec analyzed the information for a second. Apparently it was true that Valentine didn't care about anything or anyone anymore, and that the rumors about him were true. He had lost everything he had ever loved, including himself.

"Well, I don't care how dangerous he is." Alec said. "I won't let him kill you, or any of these people for that matter, so listen carefully because I'm going to need your help."

Alec's plan did not include saving five extra necks, but now that he had seen them and that he knew who they were, he couldn't just leave them at Valentine's mercy, so they would have to improvise a bit.

"Alec…" Jace said, sounding defeated, but mostly worried.

"Jace, no." Alec said, giving his brother a hard look. Like the ones they had shared all their lives when they tried to make the other understand that there was no argument on the matter. It was what it had to be done. Period. "We're going to do this, okay?"

"But-"

"But nothing." Alec said. "Everything will be fine, I promise."

"You promise?"

"Yes, now listen carefully because if we manage to pull this off, maybe this nightmare could end soon and you could go home."

"We." Jace added.

"Yeah, we could go home."

o-o-o-o-o

After saying goodbye to Tessa and watching her go, Magnus, Raphael and Ragnor proceeded to try to hide the small boat on the island. Magnus knew that in order to be able to save Alec, he had to first figure out the boy's plan. The last thing he wanted was to ruin everything and put him in even more danger.

"So...now what?" Raphael asked.

They were pushing the boat through the sand to hide it behind some palm trees and the other wild vegetation that covered the island.

"We try to see if Alexander left any trace as to what his plan is and then we make our own plan. The last thing I want do is to interfere with what he has in mind."

"And, what if he doesn't have a plan?" Ragnor inquired.

"Of course he has one. He never acts without having one in mind. You've seen how he is these past few weeks. He's smart. I'm sure he thought of something. He didn't sink the Avenger for fun."

"I agree," Raphael said, "if he decided to sink the only way he had to get out of this island, he must have something in mind. I suggest we wait to see what that is and act according to that. Maybe we don't even have to do anything in the end, but catch a ride on the Danube."

Magnus shook his head frantically, dismissing Raphael's idea immediately.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm sure his plan includes his own death and I can't allow that." Magnus said firmly.

"So, you don't want to interfere with his plan, but you do?" Raphael asked confused.

"Precisely, my friend. Now, let's go!"

They walked away from where they had left the boat and headed into the jungle. There was some kind of path marked there. The vegetation was less dense and it seemed to surround the cliff that separated them from where Valentine was.

"You think this is the route they took?" Ragnor asked.

"I don't know, but it's the one we're going to take." Magnus said, looking at his compass. If they wanted to make it on time to the East side of the island, they had no time to waste. "We will walk all night, okay? If we hurry we can get there and still have some hours to analyze the situation. If my calculations are correct is just past midnight."

They started to make their way through the jungle, making sure to erase any traces that could warn of their presence on the island. With the Clave breathing down their necks, taking extra precautions was never enough.

They walked and walked and walked, watching the minutes turn into hours. By the time they were completely out of breath, Magnus realized that dawn was near. The birds had started to sing and the sky was just beginning to clear.

"Valentine." Ragnor whispered, stopping Magnus and Raphael in their tracks. The crazy pirate was in front of them.

"Hide." Magnus said, ducking behind some bushes to see what the pirate was doing.

It was clear that they had set up some sort of camp next to the cliff and ahead of them, anchored in the bay, was the Blue Danube.

"What do you think he's going to do?" Ragnor asked.

Magnus shrugged because he had no idea.

They observed Valentine for some minutes. The man was talking with some of his men, who after receiving instruction climbed into a longboat and headed to the Danube. Magnus didn't need to hear the conversation to know what was happening. The time had come. Valentine had asked for the boys.

"I think it's time." Magnus whispered. "Look, they are picking up the camp." He pointed out. Valentine's men were dismantling the tents in seconds.

"Aye, I think you're right." Ragnor agreed. "What's the plan then?"

Magnus took a deep breath before speaking. The time had come.

"As soon as Valentine enters the cave, I want both of you to go to the Danube. If Alec's men are there, as I suppose they will be, then join them, okay? The Danube is the only way out now."

"What about Catarina's boat?" Raphael asked.

"Forget about it, that boat isn't fast enough. Catarina will understand."

"Okay...and what about you?" Ragnor asked.

"I'm going in. I can't let Valentine kill Alexander." Magnus said.

"But how?"

"I don't know yet, I'll improvise something. I'm good at that."

"Well, then we'll wait for you here and then we all can go to the Danube." Ragnor said.

Magnus shook his head. "That's not going to happen, my dear Prince."

"Why not?"

"Because he's not coming back." Raphael said. Magnus knew that the pirate had understood the plan even before he had shared it completely.

"That's not true, he can't-" Ragnor looked at Magnus straight in the eye. "You're not coming back?"

Magnus shook his head very slowly just to affirm what had already been said.

"You can't do that!" Ragnor exclaimed as loud as he could given their current circumstances. "We can help you fight that man, right, my love? We can all go and kill that lunatic and save Alec and-"

"Ragnor, mate...stop." Magnus said, placing a hand on Ragnor's shoulder. "It's fine. I'm fine, I promise. I can't let you die for nothing. I promised that nothing bad would happen to any of you and this is me fulfilling that promise. If I let you come with me in the first place was because I needed you here to ask you something."

"What?" Raphael asked.

"I need you to take care of my Alexander for me and make sure he gets safely back to Alicante. You know how much he means to me, so I wouldn't trust this to anyone but you two."

"No, no, no, no, no." Ragnor said, shaking his head vigorously. "If you want to make sure that he gets safely back home, you'll have to do it yourself."

"Ragnor, please…hear me out."

"No, you hear me out, stupid pirate. You can't die. You can't, okay? If you're so worried about Alec then you'll have to make it out alive. We won't babysit him for you, so you only have one option here, mate? Don't die. Did you hear me?"

Magnus nodded and gave Ragnor a hug. He knew his harsh words had been just his way of telling him how worried he was about him.

"Thanks for everything, mate." Magnus whispered into his ear.

"Don't." Ragnor said, stepping back. "I don't want goodbyes."

Magnus nodded and hugged Raphael too. "Take care of Ragnor for me too, alright? And don't let what Tessa said about him go to his head."

Raphael chuckled. "Magnus, I…"

"I know, you don't have to say anything." Magnus said, giving them both a smile. "Now go and stay safe, okay?"

"Okay, but we'll see you later." Ragnor said sure of himself.

Magnus just nodded, not wanting to argue any further. This was painful enough as it was. "Take care, my friends."

Ragnor and Raphael nodded and walked away. Magnus watched them go and disappear into the jungle. It was a relief to know that even after all the mistakes he had made in his life, he still had friends who cared about him and for whom he would die without hesitation.

"Goodbye." He whispered, turning around and heading towards the cave.

He didn't know what was going to happen next, but he knew that whatever it was, he was doing the right thing.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello again! I know it's late, but this chapter took me a long time to write (+5K words). Anyway, I really hope you like it. I'm kinda nervous about it tbh. Anyway, enjoy it and please don't kill me. I'll see you all on Friday.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

Alec and Elias had been hiding in the back of the cave for more than an hour. After Alec had returned from the Danube, he and the pirate had decided to explore the cave to find a place to hide and be able to see when Valentine and his crew finally entered.

The cave still had some water inside, so it smelled like sea water and there were even some coral reefs here and there. From the moment they had stepped inside for the first time, Alec had noticed why Raziel had chosen it as a hideout. It was perfect. It was hidden by nature in every possible way, it was large for a cave and it even had a rock formation in the center that acted as a platform. It hadn't taken Alec long to figure out that that was the place the Angel had chosen to place the three instruments.

The minutes passed and passed without them hearing anything other than their own breath, until a group of men started to enter the cave. They were cheering and talking, making too much noise as they made their way inside. Elias and Alec looked at each other. Valentine's crew was quite numerous, they already knew that. They had been watching them for days, but it wasn't the same to see them all scattered in a camp, than all gathered here in the now somehow not so large cave.

"Where's Captain Morgenstern?" Elias whispered, and Alec pointed to the entrance of the cave.

There, carrying the three instruments in his hands, was Valentine Morgenstern in the flesh. Alec had heard many stories about him, people considered him very handsome and good-looking, and now that he was looking at him for the first time, he knew why. Valentine was tall and built, he had a strong jaw and very intense black eyes. His head was shaved and he had a very distinctive tattoo of two red circles on his neck.

The pirate walked to the rock formation and stood there, looking at his crew and waiting for them to finish cramming the already crammed cave.

"Where's your brother, captain?" Elias asked.

"I don't know." Alec said, trying not to show the tremor in his voice. Suddenly he was afraid that Valentine had already killed his brother and the other two boys, but he tried to calm himself down. That idea made no sense. Jonathan's text implied that the blood had to be spilled on site, and he was almost certain that Valentine would not ruin his only chance by killing them all before time.

Valentine cleared his throat to get the attention of his crew. The group of pirates immediately stopped talking and looked at their captain.

"The time has come!" Valentine exclaimed, raising his voice and making it resonate through the cave. "After years of searching in all Seven Seas, I finally have everything I need! It's time for me to lift this curse and recover the power that was taken from me!"

The crew cheered in unison, and Alec and Elias just looked at each other. They could hear the pirate's madness even in his voice.

"It's time I pay my debt to the Angel and let his blood to wash away my sins!" Valentine continued. "Bring the boys!"

Two men entered the cave pushing the prisoners. Alec saw that they all were blindfolded and had their hands tied behind their backs.

"Bring them to me!" Valentine said.

The pirates placed the three men on the platform next to Valentine, kicking and beating them in the process. Alec had to count to ten to avoid jumping before it was the right time.

"Twenty years ago." Valentine said. He was circling around the three boys. "I took the treasure of all treasures and condemned myself to a life of misery. Today, thanks to the Angel himself, I have the chance to change that. The chance to change my odds and rise again. Rise again as the greatest pirate that's ever crossed the seas!"

The crew cheered again and Alec was surprised to see how loyal they were to their crazy captain.

"See the faces of the men who are going to save me." Valentine said, ordering some of his men to uncover the boys' eyes. "See the men who will bring me glory and eternal forgiveness!"

The crew burst into applause, and Alec tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword—the time was near.

Valentine walked to the first boy, the one Jace had said was Michael Wayland's son, and put him on his knees at the center of the platform, placing the mirror in front of him. Two men of his crew did the same with Jace and Valentine's own son, putting the sword and the cup respectively in front of them too.

"Behold!" Valentine exclaimed.

Alec knew what was about to happen, Valentine was going to kill them all at once. The three boys were kneeling with their heads down, so it wouldn't take much, just a single stroke with the sword and the three boys would be dead within seconds.

Alec took a deep breath, exchanging a warning look with Elias. This was the moment they had been waiting for. They just had to wait for Valentine to draw his sword and when the pirate was about to kill them, they would come out of hiding and surprise him. Elias had a sack with extra weapons that he would give to the boys so they could fight with them. The plan was simple, they would kill as many men as they could and then run. Alec would stay there as a bargaining chip and Elias would make sure that Jace and the others could escape on the Danube. Alec had embraced his own death the day he had read the full text, so he was ready. It was how he had planned it, it was how it was supposed to happen.

But it didn't.

Valentine drew his sword alright, but just as Alec and Elias were about to jump, someone entered the cave, ruining the moment and making them all to turn around in confusion.

"Stop, stop, stop!" The man exclaimed.

Alec knew that voice like he knew his own soul. It was Magnus's.

"Magnus…" He whispered, unable to contain the surprise and yeah, the excitement in his voice. He didn't know what the pirate was doing there and how he had found the island in the first place, but Alec couldn't tear his eyes away from him. It had only been a few days, a week, since the last time he's seen him, but he had missed him. He had really missed him. And now the pirate was there, he was really there...Magnus had found him.

Suddenly, the idea of dying wasn't as appealing as it had been for Alec a few minutes ago. That was another reason why he had left Magnus behind, without him there, Alec could walk to his own death without remorse or hesitation, but with him there...well, everything changed.

"Magnus Bane!" Valentine exclaimed, eying Magnus from head to toe. The entire crew had their guns and swords aloft, pointing at the pirate's head.

"I knew you had survived, like your old man, you're a hard nut to crack." Valentine continued. "I can't say I'm surprised to see that you haven't aged a bit, but you do look different. Did you do something to your hair?" He asked in a mocking tone.

Magnus didn't reply. Alec saw that he was just looking at Valentine with a smile plastered on his face. Alec wished he could read minds just to be able to know what Magnus was thinking at that precise moment.

"But tell me." Valentine continued, getting closer to Magnus and pointing his sword right up against his heart.

Alec wanted to jump to protect him, to do something to keep Magnus as far away from that madman as possible, but he was frozen in place, watching the exchange from his hideout.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this inopportune visit? Did you come to see me get back my former glory? I can't say I blame you, not every day you see the most powerful pirate of all time to come back to life from the ashes."

"Hmmm, actually, no. Don't flatter yourself, it's pathetic." Magnus said. "I'm here because you have something that belongs to me."

"Your ship? Please, Bane!" Valentine exclaimed, lowering his sword and laughing uproariously. "That ship was handed to me by your own father, the Blue Danube is no longer yours."

"Well, technically it is still mine. The Danube wasn't my father's to give."

Alec frowned in confusion. He was not understanding anything. As far as he knew Magnus's father was dead. The pirate had said so himself, his father had drowned himself in the middle of the ocean.

"It doesn't matter." Valentine said. "The ship wasn't yours either. I know that your story about Poseidon building it for you is a sham, you're a liar, Magnus Bane, and you won't get it back, not while I'm alive."

"Oh, but I will." Magnus said sure of himself, causing the crew to burst out laughing.

"What is he doing?" Elias whispered.

"Improvising." Alec replied. He wasn't sure about Magnus's plan just yet, but he knew him too well to know that he was just buying them some time.

"And, how are you so sure about that?" Valentine asked, raising his sword again and pointing it against Magnus's throat. "You're planning on killing me? You may be immortal, Bane, but you're not invincible. In fact, I could prove that to you right now and kill you, as the cockroach you are."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, mate." Magnus said. "Because if you do, then you will never know the other thing I came here to tell you."

"And what makes you think I care about what you have to say, huh?" Valentine said in a mocking tone, causing the crew to burst into laughter again.

"Because otherwise you will die and you don't want that, do you? Isn't that what all this fuss is about? To avoid certain death? If I were you, I would listen to what I have to say."

"Okay...speak."

"First we need to make a deal, mate." Magnus said. "You know that."

Valentine smiled wickedly and made a small cut on Magnus's neck. Alec moved as if to jump, but Elias stopped him.

"What if you speak and in exchange I spare your sorry life?" Valentine said.

"Alright," Magnus agreed, "I've always liked your negotiations techniques. Very effective, you know what you want, you're-"

"Speak, Bane! You're wasting my time!"

"Well," Magnus said, making a long pause before speaking, "the Clave is here." He announced without further ado, and Alec stopped breathing.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus had lied about the Clave being there. He had just come up with it as a way to distract Valentine. He hadn't seen the entire crew before, so as soon as he stepped into the cave and saw how many they were, he knew there was no way they could defeat them, not even with the men Alec could have aboard the Danube. They were outnumbered by ten to one, so in a moment of despair, he had thought about the Clave. They were in the Caribbean after all, so it was a partial lie.

"What!?" Valentine asked surprised.

"What you heard. I saw them sinking a ship on the opposite side of the island. They destroyed it completely, there are no survivors. Then I saw them disembarking. They are exploring the island as we speak." He lied. Perhaps Alec's little trick with the Avenger could be useful for his lie.

Valentine pondered the information and then smiled, finally lowering his sword. Magnus took those seconds to take a deep breath and look around, trying to find Alec. He hadn't seen him yet, but he knew he was there. Maybe it was a bit cliche to say it aloud, but he could feel it in his heart—Alec was there.

"If I find out that this is some kind of trap, I swear that I'm going to-" Valentine said.

"It's not. I am a man of my word." Magnus lied again. "Send your men and you'll see that I'm not lying. I saw them. There are at least three vessels carrying the insignia of the Clave. This place..." he added, pointing to the cave, "is a deathtrap. If the Clave finds out you're here, they could knock down the cave and we all would die trapped here."

Valentine looked around. Magnus knew the pirate was not stupid, he was mad, but that didn't diminish his intelligence. It was obvious to anyone that this was, indeed, a deathtrap.

"Okay, then." Valentine said. "I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer."

"A very smart decision." Magnus added.

Valentine ignored him and just looked at his crew. "Malachi!" He called a man Magnus assumed was his Quartermaster. "You know what to do."

The Malachi guy nodded and immediately instructed the crew to leave the cave and attack the Clave. Magnus looked around while the crew, like ants, started to move around and follow their captain's instructions. They were cheering and groaning, clearly excited about the upcoming battle.

Magnus couldn't believe that his plan had worked. Now the odds weren't that bad for them. Only ten men had stayed behind: two at the entrance guarding the cave, four at the base of the platform, two behind Valentine and the two who had their pistols pointing at Magnus.

"Well," Magnus said, "I have fulfilled my part of the bargain, so I would be very grateful if you could ask your men to stop pointing their guns at me."

Valentine looked at him. "Lower your guns, guys, he's harmless. He never had it in him."

Magnus tried not to let Valentine's words get into his head. He knew he couldn't lose control, at least not until he knew Alec was safe and on his way back to Alicante.

"So, are these the boys?" Magnus asked, walking around the platform and looking at the three boys. The poor men were covered with dirt and they all were severely beaten.

"Aye."

Magnus eyed them. "Is this one yours?" He asked, pointing to the guy with the platinum blond hair. The boy looked exactly like the old pirate when the latter was younger, they even had the same look of resentment on their faces.

"Aye, Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern." Valentine said.

Magnus just nodded, and moved to look at the other two boys. "And these are Robert and Michael's sons, I presume?" He asked.

"Aye, Jonathan Wayland and Jonathan Lightwood. How did you guess I needed them too?"

"Rumors…" Magnus lied, "hello again, Commander." He said, locking eyes with Jace. He saw recognition in the blond's eyes and a flash of confusion. Magnus knew Alec's brother was certainly wondering how he had gotten out of jail in the first place.

"You know him?" Valentine asked confused.

"A bit." Magnus confessed. "He captured me a few months ago when I saved a gentleman in distress, but I got away."

Valentine laughed. "Well, you won't have to worry about him any longer. He's going to die very soon."

"Good." Magnus said, standing behind Jace and carefully placing a knife in the boy's tied hands so he could free himself while Magnus kept distracting Valentine. "And, do they all have the same name? Jonathan?"

"Aye, I guess we all named them after the man who brought us here."

"How original." Magnus muttered and moved, stepping down of the platform and walking to explore the cave.

"But tell me, Bane." Valentine said. "How's your father doing? Have you talked to him? He was of great service a few years ago."

"No, I haven't talked to him since he decided to sell his soul." Magnus said. His father was something he didn't like to talk about. He liked to think that he had actually died all those years ago and not sold his soul for his stupid ambition to power.

"Tsst, tsst, a son who resents his own father...that's unheard of." Valentine mocked, making Magnus to chuckle.

"I can't say I blame you, Bane. Asmodeus is an asshole, but he holds an important position in the underworld, did you know that?"

Magnus shook his head, because he didn't know. Since his father had abandoned him when he was just a kid, he hadn't heard of him, and when he had, it had been just because the bastard had helped this man to steal his ship.

"Well, he is one of the big ones."

Magnus shrugged. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to keep talking about his father, but at the same time he also knew he had to keep Valentine distracted. It was vital that he didn't notice that there was no sound of battle outside whatsoever, and that what he had said about the Clave had been nothing but a big-fat lie to make his crew leave and give Alec and his brother a chance to escape.

 _Boom!_

The roar of a cannon was heard and Magnus's eyes widened with surprise.

"My men are surely sinking their ships at this very moment." Valentine said relaxed, but Magnus couldn't just relax, no one else was on the island, so, _why were they shooting guns? What was really happening outside?_ Suddenly Magnus couldn't stop thinking about Raphael and Ragnor and he prayed they were alright.

"But tell me, Bane." Valentine said, apparently he wanted to keep talking. "How did you find the island? What were you really doing in these waters? I don't think you came here just for your ship. It's been years, if you cared so much about the Danube, you would have tried to do something before, so why now? What were you really doing here?"

"The truth?" Magnus sighed. "I found it by accident, I was following my other half."

Valentine burst out laughing. "Don't tell me you're one of the romantics."

Magnus faked a laugh. "You used to be one...before this happened, of course."

"Love destroys you, Bane."

"Yes, but it also keeps you alive." Magnus said. "Isn't recovering what you lost what's driving you to do this? Love makes us do crazy things." He confessed not because he wanted to share his love life with Valentine, but because he hoped Alec might be listening. The boy had to know what he really meant for him, he had to know that all he had told him when they were still together was true.

"So you have found the one...is it a he or a she? I recall you liked variety."

"A he." Magnus said, he was still exploring the cave as he spoke. "He was where I least expected him to be, but I'm glad I found him. Since I met him, my life hasn't been the same. He's everything to me, he's-" He said, and stopped for a second.

There, at the far end of the cave were a pair of eyes looking back at him. A pair of eyes that he knew so well. "He's the best that's ever happened to me." He said making each word count.

Magnus kept his eyes fixed on Alec's just for a couple of seconds. He didn't want to draw much attention to him now that he knew where he was. He just wanted him to know that he was there and that he would try everything in his power to get him and his brother out of this.

"Captain! Captain!" One of Valentine's men came into the cave. He was drenched in his own blood. "They took the Danube!"

"The Clave!?" Valentine asked, there was anger in his voice.

"No, sir." The man said. He looked very weak, as if he were about to lose consciousness at any time. "His people." He added, pointing at Magnus before collapsing lifeless against the rocks.

"My people? I didn't bring any people. I didn't do anything!" Magnus said immediately. He had brought two, but he doubted that they were the ones behind this mess.

"You liar, son of a-" Valentine said, drawing his sword and charging against him, but before he could reach him, Alec jumped from where he was hiding and crossed his blade with Valentine's.

"It wasn't him." Alec said, surprising everyone, including Magnus. "It was me."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec barely had time to register what he had done before the battle began. When he had seen Valentine charging against Magnus, he hadn't thought twice and he had simply acted on impulse, drawing his sword and stopping Valentine. Now, the cave was a mess of blades and gun shots.

Thanks to the knife that Magnus had given Jace, his brother and the two other boys were now free and fighting with whatever they had at their disposal. Valentine's son had taken possession of Raziel's sword, so he was using it to defend himself, but Jace and the other boy were just fighting with their fists.

"Elias!" Alec shouted, and the pirate immediately ran to assist the boys, throwing them swords and some pistols while Alec kept crossing blades with Valentine.

"And, who are you, boy?" Valentine finally asked.

"Nobody!" Magnus exclaimed. He had drawn his sword and was fighting alongside him.

Despite the trick that apparently Magnus had set up with the lie about the Clave and the wise intervention of his crew, Alec knew they were still outnumbered by two to one, and that was why they were all fighting in pairs, Jace with Elias, Valentine's son with Jonathan Wayland, and Magnus with Alec.

"Is he the one you mentioned earlier?" Valentine asked intrigued, directing his question to the pirate.

"Him? No, he's a nobody, he's-"

"He's the one. You've never been a good liar, Bane." Valentine said, crossing his sword with Magnus's in a very aggressive way. He was laughing as if he found the whole situation extremely funny and Alec wanted to kill him. He had never wanted to kill anyone before as he wanted to kill that mad pirate at the moment.

"Get away from him!" Alec said, putting himself between Magnus and Valentine for the second time.

"You have guts, boy, I give you that...and you look familiar, have we crossed paths before?"

"I sincerely doubt it!" Alec said, using his best moves to try to beat Valentine, but the pirate was a very skilled swordsman. He knew he would need a miracle to defeat him, maybe if Jace helped him things could change.

Almost as if his brother had heard his thoughts, Jace joined him, stepping in front of Valentine and taking the pirate by surprise. Together they fought against him as they had been fighting since they were kids. Jace at the front and Alec watching his back.

"You're old!" Jace exclaimed, in the heat of the battle.

"I may be, but I still can beat you." Valentine said.

Alec seized while Valentine and Jace exchanged words to scan the cave and find Magnus. The pirate had stayed a few steps behind, fighting with some of Valentine's men. He was surrounded, four against one. Alec wanted to go and help him, but he couldn't leave Jace alone with Valentine.

"Go help him." Jace said, almost reading Alec's thoughts for the second time. "I got this."

Alec nodded. He trusted his brother's skills with the sword. He was the best swordsman in all Alicante, he hadn't been appointed Commander of the Clave in vain. He could handle a pirate, even if it was one as crazy as Valentine.

Alec rushed to Magnus's side as fast as he could and fought by his side. The familiarity between them helped them feel comfortable in each other's spaces. Alec could read Magnus's movements even before the pirate made them. They were the perfect team just as Magnus had said since they had met.

"Please." Magnus said, while they kept trying to beat the four men surrounding them. "I don't know what your plan is, but whatever you do, please, please, don't reveal your real identity, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because that's the only thing we still have in our favor."

Alec nodded. Magnus was right, this wasn't going as planned, so they would have to change a thing or two, and that included not revealing who he was, they still had to see how things turned out in the end.

"Okay," Alec nodded, taking advantage of their proximity to ask in a low voice. "What you said about the Clave was a lie, right?"

He was asking just to confirm his suspicions. He had guessed it when Magnus had mentioned the sunken ship on the other side of the island. The ship that Alec himself had sunk.

"Yes, it was a lie," Magnus said, ducking to avoid the blade of a sword, "I suppose your men are the ones who are behind the cannon explosions?"

"I guess they are." Alec confessed, disarming one of the men and knocking him down.

"Magnus?"

"What!?"

"I need to know something." Alec said, charging against the man he had knocked down. He had stood up and pulled out a gun.

"What!?" Magnus said, giving him a look that left Alec with no doubt that the pirate couldn't believe that he wanted to have a conversation given their current situation, but Alec really wanted to know. Things could go wrong for any of them and he wanted, no, he needed to know.

"What you said about me...is it true?"

"I'm not a liar, you know that."

Alec gave him a look, as he finally killed the man, slicing his throat.

"Okay, well sometimes I lie, but I've always been honest with you." Magnus said, also killing the man in front of him. "Except for that one time, but you know why."

Alec rolled his eyes, and moved to keep fighting with the other two men who were still there. He noticed that Elias was helping Jace with Valentine, and Valentine's son and the other boy were fighting against the other men who still remained in the cave.

"What about your father?"

"Are we seriously going to do this right now?" Magnus asked, ducking again so that Alec could kick one of the men.

"Yes." Alec said, almost out of breath.

"Fine, I lied about him too, okay? He's alive...well, sort of." Magnus confessed. "Long to explain...anything else?"

"Yes, how did you find me?" Alec asked. That was the question he had been dying to ask.

"I can explain later," Magnus said, looking at him, "but know that as long as my heart beats, I'm always going to find you."

Alec couldn't help but smile. He liked the idea of that. It made him feel special but most of all loved.

"Are you going to kiss now, or what?" The pirate fighting with Magnus said in a mocking tone. "I could give you a few seconds before killing you both."

"There's no need, mate." Magnus said, charging against him and killing him instantly.

Alec barely had time to see that before the other pirate was practically upon him.

"Ready to die, pretty boy?"

"Not yet." Alec said, striking the man with his sword and knocking him down. "And never call me pretty boy." He said, stabbing his sword into the pirate's abdomen to incapacitate him.

Magnus looked up from where he was now fighting some other men and smirked at him. "I've called you pretty boy before." He stated.

Alec rolled his eyes in a playful way. Of course he had. Alec remembered it perfectly. The first time had been when he had rescued him from those smugglers, and then, when Alec had helped him out of prison.

"Well, you always seem to get a free pass with me." He admitted.

Magnus laughed and kept fighting, not without first warning Alec to watch his back, there was a man approaching him.

Alec turned around just in time to block a stroke from one of the other men. He pushed him with all his strength and continued fighting, noticing that Michael Wayland's son was now wounded. He was leaning on the platform, putting a tourniquet on his left leg. The wound didn't appear to be lethal, so he did not worry much about it and just kept fighting.

The battle continued and for what seemed like hours all Alec could hear was the roar of both battles, the one that was happening outside, and the one he was currently part of. He couldn't deny that Valentine's men were very skilled and they certainly had more experience in battle than all of them together, including Magnus.

"This fight is useless." Valentine suddenly said. He was standing on a rock with Elias knelt at his feet. Jace was busy fighting two men on his own some feet away from them. "Nobody will ever be able to stop me. I'm cursed, but I'm still powerful." He said, thrusting his sword into Elias's back and killing him instantly.

"No!" Alec gasped. He had learned to like that man in all the weeks they had sailed together, but he couldn't allow himself to think too much about his death. The man had known the risks and he had agreed to them when he had decided to follow him, so with a heavy heart Alec sighed and kept fighting.

The battle continued and there seemed to be no clear winner yet. Alec didn't know what was going on outside, but it was obvious that they had not yet managed to overcome Valentine's crew or else, Alec's crew would be there helping them. And they weren't there despite the fact that they needed them desperately, they-

Another explosion rocked the cave and Alec slipped, losing his sword in the process. He tried to grab it, but he moved too slow. Someone was already stepping on it, preventing him from taking it.

Alec looked up, it was Valentine. The man was looking at him with a wicked grin plastered on his face.

"Any last words?" He said, pointing his sword against Alec's heart.

Alec stopped breathing, watching his life pass before his eyes. He saw his parents, his sister, his little brother, Jace...Magnus.

His eyes scanned the cave, looking for the pirate. Magnus was on the other side, already rushing toward him. There was sheer terror in his eyes and Alec knew why. They both knew what was about to happen, they both knew this was the end. This was it, and neither of them could do anything to stop it.

They looked at each other and Alec mouthed the words he hadn't dared to pronounce yet, but that were the truest thing he had ever said in his life.

 _"I love you."_


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello again! It's Friday so that means it's time for a new chapter! We're about to end this story, so I really hope you like it! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

Alec closed his eyes, waiting for death to come. Waiting for that fatal blow that would send him to that place of darkness, but neither the blow nor the darkness ever came. It was as if time had frozen for a minute, making Alec's agony even more painful. He had already said his last words, he had already said goodbye. _Why was he still alive?_ He could still hear the beating of his own heart and his ragged breathing. _Who had granted him these extra minutes of life?_ And, _why?_

Almost as if someone had read his thoughts a voice broke the silence. "Drop your sword." It said.

Alec dared to open his eyes very slowly to see what was happening, to see who had stopped Valentine from killing him. It had been Valentine's very own son—Jonathan.

"Really, Jonathan?" Valentine asked in a mocking tone. "Are you really going to do this to your own father?"

"I said drop it!" Jonathan said with a firm voice.

Valentine laughed and dropped the sword, giving Alec enough time to run to his brother and Magnus's side. They both were on the verge of tears, running toward him in desperation.

"Are you okay?" Magnus asked, as soon as they were a few steps away from each other. The pirate had reached out to touch his arms and face, as if to make sure he wasn't hurt.

Alec had some cuts and bruises from the battle, but he was fine. Better yet, he was alive. "I'm fine." He said, taking Magnus's hand, and giving his brother a reassuring smile. Jace hadn't said anything, but Alec could still see the horror in his eyes. All three of them knew that it had been a close call, a really close one.

"What are you going to do now, son? Kill your own father?" Valentine continued, making his voice echo through the cave.

Alec saw that the pirate was cornered between some rocks with a sword pointed straight at his throat, and not just any sword, but Raziel's sword. A single movement and he was a dead man. "Go on, Jonathan, do it!" Valentine challenged him.

Jonathan tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword and Alec tried not to blink. He didn't know what was going to happen next, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene. _Was Jonathan really going to kill his own father?_

"You have no one," Valentine continued, "you despise your mother and your sister, and they despise you too. I'm all you have left."

Jonathan didn't answer, but kept the sword firmly against his father's throat. Alec had been so caught up in the moment that he had failed to notice that there was no one but them in the cave. While he had waited for Valentine to kill him, Magnus and Jace had killed the rest of the men left, leaving them in clear advantage against the crazy pirate.

"You're like me, son." Valentine said.

"I'm nothing like you!" Jonathan exclaimed, hitting his father in the face with the hilt of the sword and making him bleed immediately. Cuts near the eyebrows or in the head always bled more.

"He's going to kill him." Magnus pointed out, and Alec nodded.

He had been observing Jonathan too. The young Morgenstern boy had a very determined look on his face despite the fact that he was severely weakened. He was covered in bruises and clearly malnourished, his ragged clothes were too big for his thin self and he was dirty from head to toe. Alec felt sorry for him. That boy had been through hell, there was no doubt about it. He even had a long gash across his left arm that was bleeding profusely.

"He's hurt." Alec said.

"He did it on purpose." Jace added, pointing to the center of the cave.

Alec turned around and noticed why Jace had said that. There, barely standing on the platform was Jonathan Wayland. Alec had already seen him near there a few minutes ago; the boy had been wounded and he had leaned on the rocks to heal himself, but now the boy was actually standing on the platform, letting the blood dripping from his leg to fall all over the mirror. The cup was there too, filled with fresh blood.

Alec remembered what Valentine had done when he had first brought the boys to the cave. He had placed the mirror in front of Michael Wayland's son and the cup in front of his own son, so that just meant that when they had first stolen the treasure, his father, Robert Lightwood, had taken the sword.

"The sword!" He exclaimed. They needed the sword, but Jonathan was using it.

"I'll go get it." Jace said, covering the few steps that separated them from the Morgenstern's.

Alec fixed his eyes on his brother, as if the fact that he was looking at him could keep him safe. Jace pointed his sword at Valentine's throat too and asked Jonathan for Raziel's sword, but the young man refused to give it back.

"We need it." Jace said, and Alec saw Jonathan shaking his head vigorously.

"Jonathan, please." Jace said. There was some sort of familiarity between them, no doubt a consequence of all the months they had shared in captivity.

"No." Jonathan said. And the few seconds it took Jace to turn around to face him, were the two seconds it took Valentine to get a hold on him.

"Jace!" Alec exclaimed, but it was already too late. Valentine had his brother and he was pointing Jace's own sword against his throat.

"I know what you want, Jonathan." Valentine said. "I know you want to be the chosen one. I know you want to posses the same power I once possessed. You're like me, son, you can't deny it. We were cut from the same cloth, and that's why I'm going to teach you a lesson. Never underestimate your enemies. I know you're going to kill me, but I'm not leaving without making you pay. Before you cut my throat I will kill your blood brother and bleed him to death so that you can't summon the Angel anymore. You-"

Valentine's speech was interrupted by laughter—Jonathan's laughter. He was laughing in a way that made Alec flinch. There was malice in it.

"You're so stupid," Jonathan said, "so incredibly stupid. That's why I'm sure we're nothing alike. Do whatever you want, I don't care. I'll get what I want in the end."

"Are you sure you want me to kill him?" Valentine asked, making a small cut in Jace's neck.

"Be my guest…" Jonathan said. "The blood you'd be spilling isn't Raziel's anyway."

"What?" Valentine asked confused.

"We have to shut him up!" Magnus exclaimed, running toward the group of men. Alec followed him, but by the time they arrived, Jonathan was already revealing the truth that they had tried to keep in secret.

"The boy you're currently holding isn't Robert Lightwood's son. He bears his name, but he's not a Lightwood." Jonathan said. "He is." He added, pointing at Alec, with his injured hand.

Alec froze in place. He could feel Valentine's eyes on him. He was almost certain that the pirate was now realizing why Alec had looked familiar to him. Alec resembled his father—Robert Lightwood. Valentine's former Quartermaster.

"So go ahead, kill the boy. I don't care...he's probably going to die anyway when I take over the treasure and control the world."

The next thing happened so quickly that Alec hardly had time to register it before he was moving to assist Jace. Valentine lost control of his temper and screamed in rage, throwing Jace to the ground and stabbing him near the ribs. Jonathan charged against his own father and while they were engaged in combat, Alec and Magnus knelt beside Jace.

Alec didn't know what to do. There was a lot of blood dripping from Jace's wound and Alec felt his whole body shaking with fear and rage.

"Can you breath without pain?" Magnus asked. The pirate had already taken off his jacket and was ripping it into strips, presumably to use them to heal Jace's wound.

Jace nodded.

"Good, then I don't think he has pierced your lungs. I need you to press this hard to stop the bleeding, okay?" Magnus said, and Alec was extremely grateful that the pirate was there. He wouldn't have known what to do if he had been alone.

"Ouch!" Jace complained, when Magnus put more pressure on the wound.

"If you want to live stop complaining, I need to stop the bleeding." Magnus said.

"How do you know how to do this?" Alec couldn't help asking.

"Years of battles, Alexander." Magnus replied, and Alec, despite the anguish he felt, found some sort of comfort in hearing his name on Magnus's lips again.

"There." Magnus said, removing the cloth that was now soaked in blood. "It looks like you were lucky, Commander. He just hit superficial tissue, we can't do much now, but these will keep you alive." He added, putting a new piece of clean cloth over the wound and bandaging Jace with the strips he had ripped before. "Just don't move, okay?"

Jace nodded and Alec breathed again. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Alexa-" Magnus was saying when Valentine's laughter echoed through the cave. Jonathan had dropped the sword after a bad move.

Alec didn't think it twice and rushed to grab it before the boy could get it back, but Jonathan tackled him.

"What are you doing!?" Alec complained. "We have to end this!"

"I have to end my father first!" Jonathan said, trying to grab the sword, but Alec kicked him and jumped to his feet. Jonathan did the same and lunged at Alec, but before the boy could take more than one step, Magnus arrived and held him back.

Alec hesitated what to do. He knew what had to be done, put the sword where it belonged and offered his own blood, but he also had to help Magnus. He couldn't leave him alone.

Magnus seemed to have read his thoughts because before he knew it, the pirate was sending him away. "Go, and put an end to this! I can take care of him."

Alec hesitated again. "I-I…"

"Go!" Magnus commanded, but Alec could not leave him just like that. Valentine was charging against the pirate too. He could not leave him alone.

"I'll help him." A voice said. It was Jonathan Wayland, who despite his severely injured leg, had made his way to where they were and was already fighting Valentine.

Reassured that Magnus was going to be okay, Alec nodded and ran to the center of the cave, but just as he was about to reach the pedestal, Valentine's Quartermaster, that guy named Malachi, stopped him.

Alec hadn't seen him coming so the blow took him by surprise, making him lose the sword.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus didn't want to kill Jonathan, he liked to think that the boy was just a victim of the circumstances. His father had surely raised him with stories about him being the chosen one, so he did what he had to do and hit him on the injured arm, making him cry out in pain. The boy dropped his gun and that was when Magnus seized the moment and made a cut on his right leg to incapacitate him.

"Stay there, you little brat! If you know what's good for you, don't you dare to move!" Magnus said, grabbing Jonathan's gun and taking it with him.

Magnus tried to run and assist the other boy, who was fighting alone with Valentine, but they had climbed some rocks and getting there was risky; he could make him lose his concentration and get him killed, so instead, he ran off to check how Jace was doing.

He was relieved to see that the bleeding had truly stopped, the boy was pale from blood loss and was weakened for all the days that he had been in captivity, but he would live and that was what mattered. Magnus would never forgive himself if Alec's brother died, not because he particularly cared about him, after all, the little brat had imprisoned him, but because Alec would suffer and Magnus couldn't take that...all he wanted was for Alec to be happy.

"How are you feeling, Commander?" Magnus asked, checking that the wound was still covered. He had seen pretty nasty injuries in all his years of life, but he knew that any injury, even the smallest one, could get infected if it wasn't kept clean.

"I'm fine, and stop calling me like that, I'm just Jace."

"Well, just Jace, keep the pres-"

"Alec!" Jace exclaimed, pointing to the center of the cave.

Magnus immediately turned around and saw why Jace had reacted that way. There, threatening Alec's life was Valentine's Quartermaster. They were fighting, and Alec was at a disadvantage. For some reason he had lost the sword and was trying to hold Malachi's attacks with his bare hands.

Magnus ran, forcing himself to get there faster than he normally would. He had been unable to do anything when Valentine had cornered him, but not this time. This time he was closer, just a few steps away.

However, by the time he arrived, Alec had everything under control. He had successfully pushed the guy and sent him to crash against the rocks. Now the pirate was lying there unconscious.

"Are you okay?" He asked just to make sure.

"Yeah, but I lost the sword!" Alec informed him. "I'm sure it landed somewhere in here." He added, pointing to the still flooded base of the cave.

They looked, going on opposite sides to cover more ground. Magnus used hands and feet to seek in the water, but it wasn't being easy because there was no light whatsoever and the rocks were all covered in mold, making the surface of the water pitch black.

Magnus kept looking, but he got a bit distracted when he noticed that the young Morgenstern boy was not where he had left him. The stubborn boy had already tackled down the other Jonathan boy and was running toward his father.

"I found it!" Alec exclaimed, raising the sword.

"Do it!" Magnus said, there was no time to waste. "Do it before he kills his own father!"

"Why do you care?" Alec asked.

Magnus refrained from rolling his eyes at Alec. "Because the soul of that poor boy deserves to be saved before it's too late. He's just a victim, do it, Alexander!"

Alec gave him a smile and ran to the platform. Magnus saw him cutting his left arm and putting the now drenched sword next to the other instruments.

The world seemed to stop for a second until a blinding white light illuminated the cave and a nerve-wracking voice began to echo, repeating fragments of the curse and making them all shiver from head to toe.

Magnus locked eyes with Alec. The boy was as surprised as Magnus was.

"The Angel!" Jonathan Morgenstern exclaimed.

There, descending from nowhere and everywhere was Raziel in the flesh.

Magnus had recognized him from the statues that the silent brothers had of him in their churches, but they didn't do him any justice. The real Angel was as intimidating as he was superb.

"Valentine Morgenstern." Raziel called.

His voice sounded weird, it seemed to emanate from everywhere and not just his mouth. "Are you sorry for what you did?" He asked.

There was no reply and Magnus's first thought was that maybe Jonathan had already killed the pirate, but that was not the case. The pirate was still alive, bleeding profusely, but alive. He was leaning against some rocks looking at the Angel, not with awe as they all were, but with resentment.

Raziel looked him in the eye for what felt like an eternity. "I can see inside your heart, Valentine Morgenstern." He stated. "I gave you a second chance and you have wasted it. You may have brought me what I asked you, but you don't harbor any feeling of remorse in you heart. You are not worthy of being saved." He said, and with that, he took an arrow from his quiver and shot it straight into Valentine's heart.

The arrow traveled so fast that Magnus barely had time to see it before it turned to ashes and Valentine stopped breathing.

Magnus gasped. The Angel had just killed Valentine. A heavenly creature had killed a mortal man and suddenly Magnus was afraid for Alec. _What if the angel decided to kill him too? What if he killed them all?_ He wondered, but didn't have much time to think about it because Raziel opened his mouth again and called the boys, summoning them to his side.

o-o-o-o-o

Alec was barely aware of what was happening. The angel had killed Valentine, and that ought to be shocking, but Alec was still in some kind of trance. He didn't know if it was from blood loss or something else, but he felt as if he were witnessing everything from afar, from some place very far away from there.

"Jonathan Wayland, Alexander Gideon Lightwood, Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern." Raziel called.

Alec felt his feet moving as if they had a brain on their own. He could feel a very powerful energy pulling him to the center of the cave, where a golden circle had appeared, protecting the Angel and his instruments.

"Come to me, feel my blood calling you."

Alec walked near him almost immediately; he was very close to him, but found himself stopping just before the golden circle. He felt an unconscious need to step inside and cross that forbidden line, but he was frozen in place, as if Raziel were holding him back.

"I've seen within your hearts," Raziel told them, when the three of them were at his side, "I've seen what you feel, what you think…what you've done." He continued. "You are blessed with my blood, but only one of you will be worthy of my treasure. That whose heart is pure and whose soul knows the meaning of love, forgiveness and repentance. Take a step forward and prove yourselves worthy of the love of God." He instructed them.

Alec hesitated for a minute, that strange hold he had felt a few seconds ago was gone. He felt like himself again, and he noticed that the two others boys felt the same way; Jonathan Morgenstern looked eager to step into the circle, but Jonathan Wayland not so much, he was eyeing the circle with hesitation...just like Alec was doing.

Alec took a deep breath, and before facing whatever was about to happen, glanced to his left, where Magnus and Jace were. But he couldn't see them clearly; the light was really blinding, making everything that was beyond the halo very blurry. He smiled at them, hoping they could see him and took a step, closing his eyes for courage.

When he opened them again, he met face to face with Raziel's golden eyes. He had been the only one able to cross the line. The other two boys were looking at him from outside the circle; Jonathan Wayland with a soft smile on his lips, and Jonathan Morgenstern with a deadly look. He was even protesting, trying to cross and grab the instruments, but the circle kept pushing him back.

"Take what's yours." Raziel said, eying the instruments.

Alec only looked at them. He couldn't just take them, _could he?_ It was wrong. Besides, _what if the circle had failed and he was not the owner?_ He could condemn himself like his father had done once. And, _how was he going to get someone to break the curse for him?_ It wasn't in his plans to reproduce. It was kind of a hard task for him if he considered that for that he needed a woman. If he ended up cursed, he would be doomed for whatever remained of his life.

"Don't be afraid." The Angel said, but Alec didn't move. His mother always said, better safe than sorry, and he had always listened to his mother.

"These belong to you." Raziel insisted. "They were entrusted to me when this world was created. I, as the Keeper of Secrets, became the guardian of God's Treasure: the power of man's will, the vitality of all living beings, and the force of nature itself. When Lucifer betrayed God and the existence of these powers were revealed, I had to hide them here in your world, putting them at the disposal of mortals. It was a great price to pay since whoever possesses them will have the power to control and change the world at will, but it was worth it."

Alec looked at Raziel. He had heard the story thanks to Jonathan's text, but listening to the Angel telling it himself was another thing.

"Since I couldn't hide them in their natural form, I decided to create these objects. A set of three mortal instruments that if used together can make one the master of the world. A sword, to control man's will, a cup, to drink the vitality of all living beings, and finally the mirror, to capture the force of nature itself."

Alec looked at the instruments. He could see the power emanating from them. It was as if they had life on their own.

"Only someone whose heart has been tempted, but not corrupted can withstand so much power. You have proven yourself worthy of this honor, Alexander. Take what's yours."

Alec came closer and grabbed them, taking the sword with his left hand and the cup and the mirror with the right. They weren't heavy, but the sensation of holding them was overwhelming. If he weren't feeling what he was feeling, he would have laughed at how unrealistic this whole scene looked, but amazingly, it was all true. Alec could feel the immense power of the instruments already running through his veins.

It was so intense that he even felt dizzy. It was something he had never felt before.

Alec looked up and found the Angel's golden eyes looking back at him.

"What am I supposed to do?" Alec asked, not knowing what he had to do with them.

"They are yours to do whatever you want. What do you want to do with them, Alexander?"

Alec pondered the idea for a minute. The power was intoxicating, he couldn't deny it. He knew deep within himself that if he wanted, he could do whatever he pleased, but that wasn't right. No one should have that much power over anything.

"I don't want them." Alec said firmly. He saw the ghost of a smile on Raziel's defined features.

"You can't reject what's yours by right." Raziel said, and Alec began to protest. "However," the Angel shut him, "you can decide what to do with them."

Alec looked at the instruments and then at Raziel. "These can't go back to wherever you had them in the first place, right?"

Raziel shook his head.

Alec meditated for a minute. If he left them in the cave there would always be people trying to possess them, and that only meant more chaos, curses and death. So he only had one option: he had to destroyed them. It was for the best.

"Nobody deserves to have this much power," Alec explained, "besides, this treasure has only brought death and destruction. I want to...I want to destroy them."

Raziel nodded and walked over to Alec. "Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked.

Alec flinched, but nodded nonetheless.

"Put them where they belong, then." Raziel said, and Alec did what he was told to. "When I leave, they will be destroyed along with this island. Don't be afraid for your life or the lives of those whom you love, you'll have enough time to go."

Alec nodded, suddenly a bit afraid of what he had done. _What if they couldn't escape? What if they sunk along with the island?_

"Alexander…" Raziel said firmly and looking straight into Alec's eyes, "whatever you do, whatever path you choose for your life, know that you will have my protection. When you decided to destroy what I gave you, you freed me...I'll never forget that. I'm in debt with you." He added, ascending into the same blinding light and disappearing from view.

Alec looked up, he could no longer see the angel, but he knew he was still there.

"Be good," Raziel warned him, "and treasure that heart as it is my greatest gift." He added, sending a beam of light that turned the instruments into ashes. "Farewell, Alexander." He said, disappearing along with the light and leaving the cave in complete darkness.

Alec fell to his knees as soon as the golden circle disappeared and he had trouble breathing. It was as if suddenly the oxygen on the island weren't enough.

"Why did you do that!?" Jonathan Morgenstern protested, charging against Alec with his sword held high. Alec tried to move, but before he could even blink Jonathan Wayland protected him, jumping in front of Alec and receiving the blow himself, falling lifeless at his feet.

"No!" Alec gasped, trying to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound as Magnus had done with Jace, but Jonathan's blow had been precise. He had cut the poor boy's throat.

"Alec!" Jace exclaimed from afar, but Alec couldn't even look up, Jonathan was already upon him.

"You are going to regret having destroy them." Jonathan said and lifted his sword, but just when he was about to kill Alec a thud was heard and Jonathan fell to the ground unconscious.

"I told you not to move, you little brat."

It was Magnus, and all Alec could do was smile because this nightmare was finally coming to an end.

* * *

 **So, yeah, Alec couldn't be more wrong. This is not over yet, they still have to get the hell out of there, so we'll see how that goes. See you all next Tuesday! Only two chapters left :(**


	19. Chapter 19

**I'm sooooo emotional! We're almost there, just one more chapter to go! I really hope you like this chapter! I consider it the closure to the adventure, you'll see why ;) Anyway, please keep in mind what I said a few chapters ago about the ending of this story, okay? I love you all, and see you on Friday for the last chapter! **cries****

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

After knocking down Jonathan, Magnus got lost in the moment he was sharing with Alec. The boy was giving him the most beautiful of the smiles, so naturally all Magnus could do was stare like a fool—a fool who was very much in love with the owner of that smile. He had missed him so much. It was amazing how in such a short time Alec had gotten under his skin. In a matter of months the boy had become everything to him; he was his every reason, the helm of his ship, the needle of his compass. And today he had almost lost him twice, first under Valentine's sword and then, a few minutes ago, when Jonathan had tried to kill him.

 _How could anyone want to kill such a beautiful man?_ Yes, beautiful. Alec was beautiful. Perhaps it was not a common term to describe a man, but it was the word that in Magnus's eyes best described the boy. Alec was handsome and sexy and overall the most attractive man Magnus had ever laid eyes on, but besides all that he was beautiful, inside and out. He had a beautiful soul and a big, big heart that he poured into everything he did and-

"Thanks for that." Alec said, interrupting Magnus's reverie.

Magnus shook his head slightly to focus again. Alec was pointing at Jonathan's body. "Of course, it was my pleasure, Alexander." He said, smiling and extending a hand to help him up.

Alec took it without any doubt and when their hands touched, Magnus felt chills running all over his body. After all they had been through, Magnus could finally say that the adventure was over. Alec was alive and unharmed and-

"Am I forgiven?" Magnus asked. He knew there was that little, or rather big issue still standing between them.

Alec looked at him with those big bright eyes that Magnus was sure could cure all the diseases in the world.

"What do you think?" The boy asked, pulling Magnus from his lapel and kissing him hard.

Magnus obliged and kissed him back, feeling his own soul returning to his body. He had thought he would never feel those lips again, he had thought he would never be that close to feeling alive again.

They were lost in each other when out of nowhere the cave started to shake as if the earth were moving. As if some powerful force were shaking it from within—like an earthquake.

"What the-" Magnus looked around, confused.

"Oh, crap!" Alec exclaimed. "I forgot!"

"What did you forget?"

"The island is going to sink."

"What!?" Magnus exclaimed alarmed. "How could you forget something like that? Why is it sinking?"

"You distracted me." Alec said in self-defense.

"I distracted you?"

"Yes, you." Alec nodded. "And the island is sinking because I destroyed the instruments." He explained. "The angel said that-"

There was another tremor that made them both hold into each other to keep from falling.

"How long do we have?" Magnus asked. It didn't matter what the Angel had said, it was clear that they had to leave—now.

"I don't know." Alec confessed. "Raziel just said that I would have plenty of time, but I'm not so sure of that anymore." He added.

It was plain obvious that the island was sinking as they spoke. Water had started to fill it again, washing the traces of the last battle.

"Then, let's go!" Magnus said, grabbing a pair of swords and throwing one to Alec. "Grab as many weapons as you can, we don't know how many men of Valentine's crew are still outside."

Alec nodded, picking up a couple of guns and Jonathan's sword. Magnus, on the other hand, ran to Jace's side to help him stand up.

"Can you walk?" He asked, helping the man to stand upright.

"No." Jace said. He was seriously weakened. He had lost a lot of blood and Magnus was sure that all the weight of what he had lived in the past months was finally crushing him.

"I'll help him." Alec said. He was there already putting an arm around Jace and practically carrying him.

Magnus nodded and just handed Jace a loaded gun so that the boy could defend himself in case they ran into Valentine's men outside. Jace just nodded and mouthed a soft thank you.

"Stay behind me, okay?" Magnus told Alec. "Whatever happens try to get to the Danube as fast as you can, I'll take care of any men we find in our way, okay?"

Magnus saw Alec and Jace nodding.

They walked and walked, carefully making their way out of the cave. It wasn't the world's largest cave, but it was large enough for them to take some time to get to the entrance. With the tremors and the rocks falling from the ceiling, getting there turned out to be more difficult than they had first thought.

"Are you okay?" Magnus asked when a particularly large rock made Alec to practically jump with Jace to avoid being hit.

"Yeah." Alec said a bit out of breath. "That was close."

"You're telling me." Magnus said, eying the lethal rock and resuming his walk.

They walked for a few more steps but stopped abruptly when Magnus noticed a man rushing toward them. He automatically drew his sword and made ready to fight.

"Lower your sword, mate. It's me." The man said. It was Ragnor.

"Ragnor!" Magnus exclaimed. He was happy to see him, of course, but not when the island they were currently on was sinking by the minute. "What are you doing here? I asked you to join the crew of the Danube."

"And I did, we did, but I came here to help." Ragnor explained. "The Clave is on the way! We believe that the smoke from the battle alerted them. Besides, this bloody island is sinking! The cliffs are collapsing and there's chaos everywhere, we thought you had something to do with that."

"We didn't do it!" Magnus said. "It was Raziel. How many men are left of Valentine's crew?"

"A few, but they surrendered when they saw they couldn't escape. Raphael is currently looking after the Danube, we thou-"

There was another tremor and part of the cave collapsed.

"We'll catch up later!" Magnus said. "Now we have to get the hell out of here or we're going to die crushed."

"Where's Valentine?" Ragnor asked, looking to the cave as if to find any survivors.

"Dead." Magnus said.

"And the treasure?"

"Destroyed." Alec added.

Ragnor seemed surprised by that, but he had the decency not to ask any further. "Is this the famous brother?" He asked instead.

"Aye, and he's hurt so an extra hand would be useful. I can cover you all." Magnus said.

Ragnor immediately put an arm around Jace's right side, helping Alec to carry him.

Together they walked the few feet that separated them from the entrance, making their way out of the cave.

When they emerged, Magnus was surprised to see that the island was already half destroyed. There was no sign of that paradise that he had seen when they had first arrived. The cliffs that covered almost a quarter of the island had already collapsed to one side, the palm trees and other vegetation were either crushed under large rocks or shaking vigorously, threatening to come down at any second. The island was a living mess.

Magnus rushed, opening a path amidst the rocks and fallen trees, so that they all could get to the shore as quickly as possible, but Alec, Ragnor, and Jace weren't following him anymore; they had stayed a few steps behind.

"What happened?" Magnus asked.

"Clary…" Jace whispered, clearly exhausted by the effort.

"Who's Clary?" Magnus asked confused.

"Valentine's daughter." Alec explained.

"What with her?" Magnus inquired not really following what was happening there.

"We have to save her." Jace said.

"She was on the Danube, Jace. She's fine...I saw her in the cells." Alec said, but Jace was shaking his head and so was Ragnor.

"There was no one in the cells." Ragnor chimed in.

"Valentine…" Jace said, "Valentine took them too. I saw some men taking them somewhere on the island while they dragged us to the cave."

"Them?" Magnus asked. Until now he had thought they were talking about just the Clary girl.

"Yes, them...Clary, her mom, Jocelyn, and Luke...Valentine's former Quartermaster. We have to help them. We can't leave them here to die."

Magnus saw Alec rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I swear, Jace, if we die because of them I'm going to kill you!" He said. "Magnus, can you help him get to the Danube while I go find them?"

"No!" Magnus immediately said. "You and Ragnor take your brother back to the Danube, I'll go get them."

"No!" Alec complained.

Magnus could see the pain and fear in Alec's eyes, and that warmed his heart and fed his soul—Alec was worried about him.

"Take you brother, please." Magnus insisted.

Alec shook his head.

"Alexander, please don't be stubborn, okay? I'm going to be fine. I'm in better condition than you, and we have to act quickly. Could you do what I ask for once?"

"I need you alive." Alec said, almost like a plea.

Magnus smiled and for a moment he wanted to forget where they were and what they had to do, and just take Alec in his arms and kiss him until theirs lips hurt, but he couldn't—they couldn't. They had more important things to do first.

"I'll be fine, I promise." Magnus said, locking eyes with Alec. "Now go, please?"

"I'm not leaving without you." Alec warned him, and Magnus just nodded as he made his way to the opposite direction, the one that led him into the heart of the now destroyed island.

Magnus didn't know where to start looking for Clary and the others, but he hoped that Valentine and his people had left some sort of trail that could lead him to them.

Magnus was walking aimlessly when he heard it—a cry for help. It was the voice of a girl, so he followed it until he found an opening where three people were tied and gagged against some palm trees.

There was a black man and two redheaded women. The younger one had managed to get rid of the piece of cloth that covered her mouth, and she was the one asking for help. The man was badly injured and bleeding profusely, and the other woman, the older one, was watching him with tears in her eyes.

Magnus approached them and had to raise his arms as a sign of peace when he saw the terror in their eyes. "I'm here to help." He promptly said. "I'm Magnus, Magnus Bane. I came here with Alec Lightwood, Jace's brother."

"Is Jace, okay?" The girl, Clary, immediately asked, and Magnus didn't need more to put two and two together. It was obvious in the way Clary had asked about Jace, and the way Jace had practically begged them to rescue her and her family that they were definitely more than friends. Magnus had seen that same fear and uncertainty of losing someone you loved reflected in Alec's eyes not so long ago.

"Yes, biscuit, he's fine." Magnus said, untying the girl. "He's hurt, but he'll live. You'll see him soon, well, if we manage to get out of here, of course."

"What's happening?"

"The island is sinking." Magnus explained. "Here, help me." He added, giving her a knife. "Free your mother, I'm going to help that poor fella."

"His name is Luke." Clary said.

"Yeah, whatever."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec had the Blue Danube ready to sail. The island was falling apart before his eyes and he could see the Clave's vessels getting closer, but there was still no sign of Magnus anywhere. He started to pace around the deck in despair, and after several minutes of waiting, he ran out of patience and asked for a longboat. He hadn't lied when he had said that he wouldn't leave without Magnus. He wasn't going to leave him behind. The fact that the island was sinking was his fault in the first place and he wasn't going to let Magnus die because of that.

"The longboat is ready, captain." One of the men said.

"Thank you."

"We'll go with you." Ragnor and Raphael joined him immediately. They were really loyal men and Alec admired them for that.

"No, I'll go alone. Magnus would want you both safe."

The two pirates gave him a soft smile. They had never been close friends, but they did have something in common: their love for Magnus. And that made them as friends as they could ever be.

"If we don't come back, please help my brother get back to Alicante and take the Danube. Magnus would want that." Alec said, before getting into the longboat.

The crew started to lower him into the water and just when he was halfway through, he saw them. There, trying to escape the wave of destruction that was hitting the island were Magnus and three more people. The pirate and a woman that Alec assumed was Jocelyn, Valentine's ex wife, were carrying a severely wounded man and Clary was walking right behind them.

"Drop me!" Alec instructed his men, and rowed the boat as fast as he could to get to the shore quickly. There were a couple of boats anchored there that Magnus could have used to get to them instead, but Alec wanted to help. He couldn't stay there and wait for the worst to happen.

"What are you doing here!?" Magnus exclaimed as soon as Alec was at a close distance. Alec noticed the tone of exasperation in the pirate's voice. He used it every time Alec didn't follow one of his orders.

"I told you I wasn't leaving without you." Alec said, climbing down from the longboat and rushing to help Magnus with the man. "So don't you dare arguing with me right now."

Carefully, they placed the wounded man on the boat and they all climbed in, trying to leave the island as quickly as possible. They knew they had to leave the shore right away. When the island finally sank, the force could pull them and sink them too. They were not safe until they were miles away from there.

They reached the Danube and the crew immediately helped them up. Alec stepped down from the longboat and helped Jocelyn and Clary. "Jace is on the lower deck." He informed them. "We took him there so he could rest and so that some of our men could heal his wounds. We'll take Luke there too, so you can go there if you want."

Clary and Jocelyn nodded and disappeared from sight immediately.

"Captain!" One of the men said. Alec knew Elias had appointed him in charge of the ship in his and Alec's absence. "Do we have a heading? The Clave is practically here, we have to outrun them!"

"Don't ask me." Alec said, glancing at Magnus who was currently helping Luke to get on his feet. "This is not my ship."

Magnus looked up at him with surprise evident on his face. "Are you sure?" He asked.

"More than sure, captain." Alec said, smiling at him.

Magnus smiled so wide that Alec couldn't help thinking that everything that had happened had been worth it just for that smile—everything. Alec knew what this ship meant for Magnus. The Blue Danube wasn't only an object for the pirate to sail across the seas, it was his ticket to freedom. His most valuable possession.

"These waters are low, the Danube runs faster in shallower waters, veer the bow sixty degrees North and bring me a map." Magnus said.

Alec knew that the pirate knew the Seven Seas like no other, so sooner rather than later they had a very strategic route to get back to Alicante and hopefully escape the Clave.

"We'll get to Alicante in a couple of days." Magnus announced, and Alec just nodded.

In a couple days he would be home. If his old self had heard those news, he would have jumped up and down with joy, but he wasn't the same man as before. He had changed, a lot of things had changed, and now the idea of going home was foreign to him. He didn't even know what home was anymore. _How could he call a home a place where not even his father was who he said he was? How could he called a home a place full of rules that were designed to make him miserable?_

Alec sighed, walking to the stern of the ship and looking at the clear waters of the Caribbean to think. His head was a mess. He still couldn't believe that after all this time this was really over. It had been months of so many adventures of all kinds that he still couldn't believe that he had lived them all. He felt as if he had experienced the most horrible nightmare and the sweetest dream all at the same time.

"It's really over." Magnus said, approaching him from behind and making him jump.

For Alec it was still surprising to see how the pirate seemed to have a direct line to his thoughts.

"I still find it a bit hard to believe…have we outrun the Clave?"

"Aye...we're safe, Alexander."

Alec took a deep breath. They were safe. That concept was even more foreign than that of a home. After almost dying and risking his neck for weeks, he found it hard to believe that the danger was really over.

"You did the right thing." Magnus added. "With the treasure, I mean."

Alec smiled. With all the running after Raziel had disappeared, he hadn't really had time to think too much about it. "I was tempted, I have to admit it." He confessed. "I could feel all the power the Angel talked about. It was really there, I felt it."

"What was it like?"

"Intoxicating. Like nothing I've ever felt before...it was overwhelming."

They looked at each other and Alec allowed himself to relax for the first time in months.

"May I?" Magnus pointed to Alec's left arm.

Alec nodded. He had been so caught up in getting away from the island and stay ahead of the Clave that he had completely forgotten that he had a long gash on his left arm where he had cut himself to get some of his blood.

Magnus immediately cleaned the wound and healed it. The pirate did it so delicately that it was hard for Alec to imagine that those were the hands of a pirate.

"There." Magnus said, bandaging the wound. "Now it won't get infected."

"Thank you." Alec smiled, looking at the pirate straight in the eyes. There was so much he wanted to say so much he wanted to do, but he didn't know how or where to start, so he just smiled, hoping that his eyes and smile were speaking for him.

"I was so afraid of losing you...again." Magnus confessed, moving a bit closer, just so their eyes were mere inches away.

"I was afraid of losing you too." Alec said back because it was true. He had been so afraid of losing him, of watching the man he loved die that the thought still gave him goosebumps.

"I want to apologize for what I did before with the lies and all." Magnus said, "you never gave me the chance to-"

"And I will never give you the chance." Alec interrupted him, "because it doesn't matter anymore. It hurt when it happened, yes, but believe it or not, I understand why you did it."

"You do?"

Alec nodded. "You didn't know me back then and you just saw in me the chance to get your ship back. I would have done the same thing. In fact, I did. I used you to get my brother back. We both tried to seize the opportunity presented to us and we never thought that what happened between us would happen. But that's life, right? It's unexpected and always manages to surprise us. People say you should never trust people completely, but I trust you. I know what's really inside your heart, Magnus. I know that despite all, despite the life you've lived, you are a good man. You proved that today...you came back for me." He added with a smile. It had been the longest speech he had ever given to anyone.

"I wasn't going to let you die."

Alec just smiled again.

"What you said when...well, when-when, you know?" Magnus tried to ask. Alec smiled. He knew what Magnus wanted to ask. "Was it true?"

Alec rolled his eyes dramatically. "I was about to die and I chose to direct my last words to you, how can you even doubt that what I said was nothing but the truth?"

Magnus laughed nervously. "I don't know, I was just checking, you know? Adrenaline can make you do and say things that you-"

"Captain." One of the men approached, interrupting them.

"Aye?" Magnus said, clearly irritated by the interruption.

"Mr. Fell asked me to inform you that Mr. Santiago will take over the helm while he rests."

"That's it?"

"Aye, captain."

"Tell him that's fine. Now go." Magnus said, rolling his eyes.

The man left as quickly as he had appeared.

"Where were we?" Magnus asked, when they were alone again.

"We were discussing your inability to believe the obvious, but I'm tired of talking." Alec said, pulling Magnus toward him. "Just kiss me, okay?" He said, and Magnus did.

o-o-o-o-o

It took them four days to get to Alicante. During that time Magnus and Alec spent as much time together as possible, taking in all they could from one another and recommitting every kiss, every hug and every touch to their memories before the time to say goodbye arrived. They hadn't talked about what was going to happen between them in the end. There was some sort of silent agreement between them. Magnus knew it, Alec knew it—they couldn't be together.

Alec had a name and a family to protect. Alec had people with whom he had to be, and unfortunately, Magnus couldn't be part of that selected group. He was still a pirate, he was still a fugitive from the Clave, so although they hadn't said anything aloud, they both knew that in a few minutes, when the Danube finally anchored near the coast of Alicante, Alec would go and Magnus would not follow.

Magnus ordered the men to drop the anchor and to distract himself from the pain in his heart, he helped the crew to prepare one of the longboats so that Alec and company could go home.

After thanking for the services rendered, Clary, Luke, Jocelyn and Jace climbed into the longboat. Magnus and Alec just looked at each other. The time to say goodbye had finally arrived. Magnus couldn't follow Alec where he was going, and although he felt like dying on the inside, he smiled and tried to hide as best as he possibly could the pain that was threatening to rip him apart.

"This is goodbye, I guess." Magnus said.

"It is." Alec said with a soft nod.

Magnus could hear the pain in the boy's voice too. This was going to be harder than any of them had anticipated.

"Thank you for everything." Alec said.

Magnus sighed. It was heartbreaking how after everything they had gone through their story would end with a simple thank you, but it was what it was and there was nothing he could do to change it.

"Well, thank you, Alexander. You gave me back my freedom and my ship."

Alec chuckled. "I guess we both got what we wanted in the end."

Magnus nodded in agreement. It was true, they both had gotten what they wanted, but... _was it what they needed?_

"Goodbye, Magnus." Alec said, extending his hand and offering it to Magnus in a polite way.

"Don't be ridiculous." Magnus said, pulling him in for a kiss.

They kissed hard, putting into that last kiss everything they had left to give and probably more.

"Don't forget about me, okay?" Alec whispered.

Those words broke Magnus's heart even more, but he managed to control himself. "Never." He said, trying to keep the tears from falling. He didn't want to cry, he had seen the unshed tears in Alec's eyes and he knew that if one cried the other would not be able to contain himself. This was painful as it was without adding tears to the mix.

"Magnus…"

"Don't." Magnus said, putting his finger in front of Alec's mouth to stop him from making this even harder. "I understand, okay? It's fine, don't worry about me. I will always want what's best for you...and right now, this is it. Go with your family and have a great life, Alexander."

"You too." Alec said, climbing into the longboat.

They looked at each other and the men lowered the boat. Magnus thought about stopping them, he thought about stopping Alec and ask him to stay, but he couldn't do that. He couldn't put Alec in that dilemma. He knew that sometimes the greatest act of love was to let go.

"Heading?" Ragnor asked, carefully getting closer to Magnus.

Magnus took a deep breath. "As far away from here as possible, my dear Prince."

Ragnor nodded and walked away to set the Danube in motion again. Magnus just stayed there watching the longboat until the latter was nothing more than a tiny dot on the horizon.

"Goodbye, my Alexander." He said, finally letting the tears fall down his face.


	20. Chapter 20

**This is it! We have reached the end of this story! I'm so emotional right now T_T**

 **It took me 10 weeks (2 chapters per week) to finish this story and I'm very happy with the result. I want to thank you all for sticking around and encouraging me to keep writing, you are the best readers in the world and I'm more than happy to be part of this lovely fandom.**

 **Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy the happy ending I promised! CH19 was the end of an adventure, this is the beginning of a new one. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

It had been a month since Magnus had had to say goodbye to Alec and see him go for good. It had been a full month without him in his life and Magnus still couldn't find a way out of the storm in which he had been trapped ever since. At first, Alec's absence had hurt, then it hadn't, then it had hurt even more. He was caught in a storm that he couldn't weather—he was caught in the storm of his own feelings.

His friends had tried to help him, they had really tried to cheer him up, but there was little they could do for him. In theory, Magnus had everything he'd always wanted. He had the Blue Danube, a loyal crew, and to top that, since the rumors about Valentine's death had spread like wildfire in the pirate community, he had regained the title of the best pirate of all Seven Seas. He was the feared and admired Captain Magnus Bane again, discoverer of the fountain of youth and the owner of the fastest ship in the entire ocean.

He had wealth and everything that, as a pirate, he might wish. In the eyes of the world, it seemed as if Magnus were living the perfect happy life, but he was not. He didn't have the person he loved by his side and that killed him. No ship, no crew, no renowned title could compare to having Alec with him. He would trade everything just to be with his love for five more minutes.

For weeks Magnus had tried to move on. He had tried to keep his mind engaged on other things, go back to business, hunt another treasure, follow some mysterious legend from the past, meet new people, but nothing had really worked—nothing. Alec was everywhere. In everything he did, in every blink, every heartbeat, every breath.

And that was exactly why he was currently in the tavern of the Spiral trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol. He knew it was stupid since no alcohol in the world could help him stop feeling this pain, but at least it made it more bearable and that was enough for him.

"On the house." Catarina said, placing a bottle of rum before him.

Magnus was at a table at the far end of the tavern. He had isolated himself when his friends had started to act all lovey-dovey with each other. It sickened him to see displays of affection when he felt so empty inside; it was a reminder that he was alone and unlikely to get over his former lover in a very long time.

"Thanks." Magnus said, with a slight smile on his lips. He was glad that his old friend had not been angry with them when she had learned what had happened to her small boat. It was a relief that she knew pirates well enough to know that when you lent them something, it was practically forever.

"Raphael and Ragnor told me what happened." Catarina said carefully.

Of course they had. Magnus knew Raphael and Ragnor couldn't keep their mouths shut when it came to Magnus's love life. For some strange reason, they found the subject extremely interesting and worth telling.

"You still miss him, don't you?" She inquired.

"As I've never missed anyone in my life." Magnus confessed. "Why is this so hard?"

Catarina gave him a sweet smile and sat beside him. "Love is hard to find, Magnus, and therefore hard to forget."

"Wise words."

"Don't mock me, it's true." Catarina said. "You found your other half, don't expect to forget about him in a matter of weeks. It's not possible."

"How long can this pain go on?" Magnus asked.

"I don't know…"

"I'm starting to think it will last forever."

"It won't...you'll get over him eventually." Catarina told him.

"And, what if I don't want to?"

"Well, then don't, but you'll have to learn to live with the pain."

Magnus sighed. _Learn to live with the pain._ It sounded so easy, but that was what he had been trying to do for weeks and it hadn't worked, there was no way to live with pain. He didn't know how people did it, but he was finding the task extremely difficult.

"I hate this," Magnus said, "I hate to feel like this."

They sat in silence just letting the minutes pass. Magnus drinking and Catarina just watching him, trying, as she usually did, to find the right words to tell him.

"What you did for him, letting him go with his family without forcing him to stay with you was very noble," Catarina said, "I'm proud of you."

Magnus chuckled. He knew he had done the right thing, he knew it. But since they had separated, there hadn't been a day in which he hadn't regretted having done so. It sounded a little selfish, but love was selfish.

"Chin-up, Magnus. You know what they say...true love has the bad habit of coming back."

"I don't think that saying applies to us."

"Why not? Don't you think that what you had was true love?"

Magnus shrugged to avoid responding. It didn't matter what he thought. He couldn't fool himself with something that simply wouldn't happen—true love or not.

"Just because you decided not to be together doesn't mean that you two don't love each other. I know for a fact that he loves you. Nobody told me, I saw it with my own eyes."

Magnus frowned. Alec and Catarina hadn't spent a lot of time together, Alec had only been in the Spiral twice.

"I saw him that day he left you tied at the docks, remember?" Catarina said as a matter of explanation. "I was just opening the tavern when he arrived. I thought he had come for some early breakfast or something, but when I offered him food, he rejected it and just gave me that note for your friends before leaving. At that time I didn't know what was going on, but now that I do, I can tell you with certainty that he was suffering—a lot. I saw the pain in his eyes, Magnus. He was torn to pieces for leaving you behind and that's because he loved you. He still loves you."

"I know that he loves me and I love him too, but sometimes love isn't enough." Magnus sighed.

"I'm sorry…"

"Why it had to be him, though? Why him and not any of the others?" Magnus asked, taking a sip of rum. "For years, centuries even, I've looked for my other half all over the world and he had to be there...waiting for me where I least expected him to be."

"That's part of the adventure, Magnus. We don't get to choose who we fall in love with."

"But this seems like some cruel joke of destiny. After years and years of searching, I finally find the person I want to be spend the rest of my life with and it turns out that I cannot be with him. What have I done to deserve this? Is this some kind of punishment for all the crimes I have committed?" Magnus sighed. "Maybe if we'd had a different life we could have been together, but alas this is our reality and I can't change it."

"Why not?"

"Because we belong to different worlds, Catarina. He deserves better. He deserves a man worthy of him, and I'm not that man."

"Then, become that man." She encouraged him. "Become the man you think he deserves."

"For that I would have to be born again...I'm a pirate, my friend."

"And, what's wrong with that? He's one too."

"No, he's not. He's much better than that."

"Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better, but I think you're wrong. He has the heart of a pirate, and what he feels for you has nothing to do with it. I knew it the moment I met him for the first time, and back then he felt nothing for you...well, maybe some sort of attraction, but definitely not love."

"If you were in my place, what would you do?" Magnus asked curiously.

"Honestly?"

Magnus nodded.

"In your current situation, I would learn to live with my decision." Catarina said. "But having said that...I would have never given up on him."

"So you think I made a mistake in letting him go?"

"No, you did what had to be done at the moment." She said, smiling knowingly. "But things can change, not all decisions are permanent."

Magnus sighed. "But, what if it's not what he wants?"

"It's worth the shot, don't you think? That way you'll know for sure if it's time to move on." Catarina said, standing up from the table. That was another of her qualities, she knew when it was time to stop the conversation.

"Catarina!"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Magnus...anytime."

o-o-o-o-o

Alec took a deep breath and plopped down in one of the wedding chairs. The terrace of the mansion was filled with people dancing and drinking in honor of his sister's marriage. The entire city was buzzing with celebrations and it was hardly surprising, the youngest daughter of the Inquisitor of the Clave, Isabelle Lightwood, had finally married. That was certainly a cause for celebration for everyone, well, everyone but Alec.

Alec was happy for his sister, he really was. Simon, her now husband, was a great man who seemed to make her extremely happy and that was all Alec could ask for, but he couldn't just enjoy the celebration as the rest of the people gathered there were doing; he had a big hole in his heart that no matter what he tried, he couldn't fill. There was a certain person he missed as he never thought he would miss anyone.

Alec sighed.

For weeks he had been wondering what would have happened if he had taken a different direction, what would have happened if he had chosen Magnus over his family. And every time he asked himself those questions, he got the same answer: he would be happy.

When Alec had decided to go back with his family and forget about his possible life with Magnus, he had done it with the idea in mind that things would change for the better. He had hoped that with all that had happened, he could finally find some sort of happiness in his world, but, well, it was clear that he had been wrong. Nothing had really changed and he was as miserable as he had always been, if not more. He had returned to his old life, but now it felt empty...meaningless.

"You okay?" Jace asked, joining him at the table and taking a seat beside him.

Alec had been moping alone at the table, watching his sister enjoy her special day, while he drank a glass of rum for old times' sake.

"Yes."

"You don't look okay." Jace pointed out.

"I'm fine." Alec said. "Are Clary and her family having fun?" He asked, trying to change the subject. He hadn't talked to his siblings about what was really going on inside his heart, and he wasn't going to start now.

"Yeah, they are." Jace said.

"I'm glad." Alec said, taking the rest of his drink in one gulp. "How are things going on with her?"

He knew that since they had returned, Jace had tried to spend as much time as possible with her and her family, helping them get used to their new lives and offering them everything they might need.

"Great. She's great." Jace said. Alec saw his brother trying to spot her in the sea of dancing bodies. She was in the middle, dancing with the newlyweds.

"I'm happy for you, Jace. I'm glad you found her."

"Thanks, Alec...can I tell you something I haven't told anyone?"

Alec nodded. "Sure."

"I think she's the one." Jace confessed.

Alec smiled glad for his brother's happiness. At least something good had come out of all the suffering they all had gone through.

A waiter walked past them and Alec stopped him to get another glass of rum.

"Since when do you like rum?" Jace asked intrigued.

Alec thought about being honest and confessing that he had started to like it when he had discovered that it made him think and forget about Magnus all at the same time, but he refrained from sharing such a discovery and limited himself to give a neutral response. "I don't know...it's a bad habit I picked up on my way to rescue you."

Jace said nothing and they just sat in silence, looking at the people having fun while enjoying their respective drinks.

"Love is a weird thing." Jace said, out of nowhere. "It makes us do really crazy things."

"Huh?" Alec frowned in confusion.

"Look at Izzy." Jace said. "For years, she said she would never get married and now look at her, she was the first to take the bait and she's the happiest I've ever seen her. And, I? I thought I would never settle for a girl and now I can't see beyond Clary. Love is a very rare thing that can really change people. When I was on the Danube I learned a lot of things about Valentine, Michael and our father, and now that I've had some time to think about it, I think that in the end they all did what they did for love."

"What do you mean?" Alec asked intrigued.

"Valentine's wave of destruction began when he realized that the curse was true and that in order not to lose who he loved the most, he had to find a way to lift it. He really loved Jocelyn, you know? It was an unhealthy kind of love, but it was love nonetheless. Michael was in love with our father and did everything he asked him, even join Valentine's crew when he didn't want to, and-"

"Wait, Michael Wayland was in love with our father?" Alec asked. Of all the things Jace could have shared that was something Alec wasn't expecting.

Jace nodded. "As far as I know, our father was the person Michael lost due to the curse. They used to be best friends, they were a package deal. Jocelyn and Luke told me they were always together. They complemented each other...they were inseparable. A little after they found the treasure, Michael confessed his feelings to our father, but he didn't take it well. Jocelyn said that he was very cruel and ended up his friendship with Michael. The next time the Danube made port, Michael disappeared and nobody ever saw him alive again."

"Really?" Alec asked surprised.

"Yes, as far as everyone knows, he died alone and still loving our father. His wife, Eliza, Jonathan's mother, left him when she discovered that he had only married her to keep up appearances. She was pregnant when she left."

"Did he meet his son?" Alec asked.

"I don't know...but Jonathan knew all of this about his father, so I guess they met somehow."

"And father? What did he lose? I thought he had lost us, but you're talking about things they lost right after the were cursed."

"Well, he lost his best friend and the love of his life...and no that was not our mother."

Alec stopped breathing. He had always known that his parents weren't a loving couple, but he had never heard of any of them having an affair or someone else in their lives.

"When they found the treasure, our mother was already expecting you, but our parents' marriage wasn't the best. First, because she didn't know what father actually did, she used to think he was a merchant, and second, because father had an affair with a woman named Annamarie."

"He-"

"Yes, Jocelyn told me that he loved her very much. He was even thinking of leaving mother for her, but when Annamarie found out that he had lied to her and was actually married and expecting a baby with his wife, she left him. She disappeared and father never saw her again."

Alec looked at his father. Ever since they had returned Alec had had trouble seeing in him the man he thought he knew. There was so much he didn't know about him. It was sad, but his father was a complete stranger to him.

"Why mother stayed with him?"

"Who knows? For you, Izzy, Max...for him." Jace said. "As I said before, love makes us do crazy things."

Alec sighed and nodded. His brother was right, love did make people do crazy things.

"Like what Magnus did for you, or what you did for him." Jace continued.

"Excuse me?" Alec asked puzzled. _When had this conversation turned into what Magnus and he had done for each other?_

"I know more than I probably should, to be honest." Jace confessed. "I know about your relationship, I know about the sacrifices you made for each other. You'd be surprised to see how invested your crew was in your relationship. You two were all they talked about—literally."

"I…" Alec was speechless.

"I know you have refused to talk about it, but I'm your brother and I feel the need to bring some sense into that head of yours. You're always sacrificing your own happiness for that of others. And don't get me wrong, that's admirable, you're a great man with a big heart and everything, but I think it's time you stop and think about your own for once."

"Jace-"

"Don't." Jace interrupted him. "I won't let you keep digging your own grave. We love you, we all love you and we want to see you happy. I know that what you lived with Magnus was much more than what you shared with us. I know you miss him, I know you sacrificed what you could have had with him for us, but you have to understand something, Alec…we are not your responsibility. Our happiness won't bring you happiness. Yes, you can be happy for us, but you are your own you...you can't live based on the happiness of those around you, you deserve to have your own."

Alec sighed. He knew his brother was right, but the advice had arrived a little bit too late. Magnus was gone and Alec knew he would probably never see him again. "Maybe you're right, but he's gone, Jace...there's nothing I can do now. It's too late."

"Never it's too late." Jace said. "You taught me that, Alec. When Valentine kidnapped me it was too late, and...did you give up? No, right? You chased the most dangerous pirate of all time and found me. Why is this any different? You'll have to chase the same ship, just not the same pirate."

"I don't know…"

"What are you so afraid of?"

"What if I can't find him? Or worse yet, what if it takes me years and by the time I find him he's with someone else?"

Jace smiled knowingly. "I don't think he's going to forget you any time soon, I'm certain you left quite the impression on him."

"How are you so sure?" Alec asked. He hated that playful smile that his brother was wearing.

"Because he's here." Jace announced.

"What!?" Alec asked surprised. He could feel his pulse quickening by the second. _Had he heard correctly? Had Jace actually said that Magnus was here?_

"My job as the Commander of the Clave is to know everything that happens in all Seven Seas." Jace said. "And I happen to know that there's been a sighting of a black ship with blue sails near the bay. I could be wrong, but I think there's only one ship in the entire ocean that matches that description, don't you think?"

Alec's eyes widened in surprise. _The Blue Danube...Magnus..._

"On top of my desk," Jace continued, "you will find four letters of marque signed and ready for you to use if that's what you want, of course. These extend a full pardon for all crimes committed against the Clave and future inquiries, so make good use of them. There's one for you, one for Magnus and two more for the other two gentlemen that joined you in my rescue."

"What? How?" Alec asked really surprised. A letter of marque was a government license authorizing a person, known as a privateer, to attack and capture enemy vessels without suffering any sort of punishment. It was the closest thing to a license to piracy that existed.

"I just did what I thought was right. I made father signed them weeks ago. It wasn't hard, he didn't even look at the names, but anyway, the door is closed, of course. Sharing an office with the Inquisitor has its drawbacks, but if you use that little trick I taught you when we were young, I'm sure you'll find your way inside." Jace said. "Also, there's a small boat anchored in the abandoned docks, it's not the best there is, since that was all I could get without raising any suspicion, but it will take you to him."

"I-I…" Alec stuttered. He really didn't know what to say.

"Learn from what happened, Alec, unlike them, you're not cursed, don't lose the person you love for nothing. We're going to be fine. I can take care of them...you deserve to be happy." Jace said, standing up from the table and joining Clary and Izzy on the dance floor.

o-o-o-o-o

After his conversation with Catarina, Magnus decided to go back to Alicante. He knew he and Alec couldn't be together, but if he wanted to learn to live with his decision as Catarina had advised him, he had to make sure that Alec was fine. He knew that the only way he could ease his mind and move on was if he saw with his own eyes that the boy was well and happy. If that was not the case, well, he could always improvise according to what Alec wanted. It was a crazy idea, but crazy always worked for him.

They were near the coast of Alicante, a couple of miles away from the bay, taking advantage of the speed of the ship to move around and avoid being captured. They knew the Clave was still after them, so naturally, the entire crew was on pins and needles, expecting an attack at any minute.

"Recuérdame de nuevo, why the hell did we come back?" Raphael asked for the umpteenth time.

"I need to know if he's okay, Raphael." Magnus said, trying not to roll his eyes. He knew why his friend was worried, but he had shared the plan enough times already and he was getting tired of repeating the same thing over and over again.

"Yes, but you could have sent him a letter for that, why come here to the lion's den, huh? If we get caught, they are going to hang us. We're not safe here."

"I know, okay?" Magnus said a bit exasperated. "I know this is the last place where we should be, but I couldn't help it. I wasn't myself, mate. You know that...just let me see if he's fine and then we'll go and never come back."

"That's what you said the last time we were here." Raphael muttered as he walked away.

Magnus exhaled loudly.

"You know he's just worried about you, don't you? We both are worried." Ragnor said, standing beside him on the main deck. "We don't want to see you suffer again. These past few weeks have been difficult for all of us too. You don't know how many times we talked about coming here to kidnap the boy and bring him to you."

"I know…" Magnus said, because he knew his friends were worried about him, "it's just that...it's the only way I'll be able to move on, my friend."

"I know." Ragnor nodded. "And that's why we're here, covering your ass for the millionth time."

Magnus chuckled. "Why are they talking so long?" He asked. It had been a few hours since they had sent a couple of men to the city to investigate everything they could about Alec and his family, and they hadn't returned yet.

"Well, they had to sneak into the city and ask around, have some patience."

Magnus nodded and resumed his waiting. It was a bit frustrating to just stand there doing nothing, but Magnus knew they couldn't do more.

The minutes stretched to a couple of hours and the sun was now on its way down. In less than an hour they would be plunged into darkness.

"Here they come." Ragnor announced. He had been keeping a close watch on the coast.

"Finally!" Magnus exclaimed relieved.

The two men quickly climbed to the Danube again and shared what they had discovered. Apparently, since the Inquisitor's sons had returned nothing had changed—Jace was still the Commander of the Guard of the Clave and Alec had returned to his training for naval merchant. The Clave had claimed Valentine's death as their own doing, as well as Jace's rescue mission, winning with that some points among the population.

"Is that all?" Magnus asked.

"No," one of the men said, "there's also a wedding going on right now in the Inquisitor's mansion."

"A wedding?" Ragnor asked.

Magnus suddenly forgot how to breathe.

"Who's getting married?" Ragnor inquired.

"We heard it was the Inquisitor's daughter's wedding." The other man said, and Magnus breathed again.

"Isabelle…" He whispered.

"And now what?" Ragnor asked.

"Now we-" Magnus was saying when Raphael interrupted him, scolding the men.

"You let them follow you, you idiots!" The pirate exclaimed. There was a small boat approaching the Danube.

"Raise the anchor and get ready to sail!" Ragnor immediately started to instruct the crew. "It's just a boat, so we can still outrun them. Quick! What are you waiting for! Move! Move! Move!"

The men began to move across the decks like ants, unfastening the sails and preparing the Danube to set sail. Magnus took his spy-glass and tried to see who was aboard the small boat.

"Stop!" He exclaimed, as soon as he recognized that unmistakable jet-black hair. "It's him!"

"Who?" Ragnor and Raphael asked in unison.

"Alexander…" Magnus said his name as if it were a sacred word. "Throw a line!"

The men looked around confused. Two seconds ago they had to run to save their lives and now they had to throw a rope to let someone board the ship.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Magnus questioned them. "Throw a line, you scallywags!"

The men finally threw the line and next thing Magnus knew, Alec was boarding the Danube.

"Magnus…" Alec said with a smile on his face.

"Alexander…"

"What are you doing here?" They asked at the same time, and Magnus couldn't help but laugh. It was obvious there was so much they wanted to say, so much they wanted to ask.

"You first." Alec said.

"What are you doing here?" Magnus asked again. He was delighted to see him, of course, but he was seriously confused by his presence there.

"I-I...I heard the rumors about a black ship with blue sails," Alec said, "I wanted to see if it was really you. Why did you come back?"

Magnus took a deep breath. _Why had he come back?_ Now that he had Alec there the answer sounded quite obvious—he had never left.

"I never really left." Magnus confessed. "I tried, I really tried, but the tide finally brought me back here...to you. I wanted to see you."

Alec smiled and stepped closer to him, leaving some space between them as if waiting for Magnus to cross it or make it bigger. Magnus noticed it, but stayed where he was; he could feel the eyes of the entire crew on them. Raphael and Ragnor were trying to take them to the lower decks to give them some privacy, but the crew was now very numerous.

"They could have arrested you, are you aware of that?" Alec asked.

"I know, but I needed to see if you were well and happy."

Alec smiled again. "I am now."

"Alexander...I'm not the man you deserve." Magnus said, before Alec kept talking. He knew that if the boy said those words that seemed to be floating on his lips, he would lose control. And he owed Alec a warning, he had to tell him that he was not good enough for him.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a pir-"

"Pirate, I know." Alec interrupted him. _"My_ pirate."

"Alexander...Alec...I can't offer you-"

"What? The life I have? I know that too." Alec said, interrupting him again. "And I don't want you to. That's not a life, Magnus. It's never been a life. For years I've been surviving, I learned to live when I met you, and I want that back. I want to be with you. I want to have all sorts of adventures with you. I want to sail the seas with you and-"

"And your family?" Magnus asked. He wanted nothing more than to launch himself into Alec's arms, but he had to keep asking.

"I said goodbye to my siblings and left a letter for my parents. I know they won't be very happy with the news, but they'll come around eventually. It's not like I'm the first pirate in the family, right?"

That caught Magnus a bit off guard. Alec had just called himself a pirate. Apparently, he was deadly serious about this.

"Besides, it's not like I'm never going to see them again." Alec added, handing Magnus four sealed envelopes. "Those are a gift from Jace."

Magnus frowned in confusion and grabbed the envelopes—they were sealed with the insignia of the Clave. He opened them, finding within them four letters of marque with their names written on them.

"These are-" Magnus lost the ability to even speak.

"Our tickets to freedom." Alec said with a smile, taking the step that Magnus hadn't dared to take and kissing him.

Magnus dropped the letters and laced his arms around Alec's neck, kissing him as hard as he could just to make sure this was really happening. After more than a month of feeling completely lost, he was finding himself again. Alec's soft lips were against his and everything was as it should be. That storm that had been tearing him apart was dissipating as fast as sea foam.

"I love you." Magnus whispered, tracing the line of Alec's jaw, recommitting that perfect face to his memory.

"And I love you too." Alec replied, kissing him again.

They kissed for what felt like an eternity with the setting sun as their only witness. Eventually, Ragnor cleared his throat and joined them, welcoming Alec with a smile.

"Captain, orders, sir?" He asked. Magnus didn't have to tell him what had happened, he knew his smile was speaking for him.

"The French coast." Alec said with a smile. "I always wanted to go to France."

Ragnor looked at Magnus then at Alec and then at Magnus again.

"You heard him." Magnus said. "The French coast."

"Aye, captain." Ragnor smiled. "You want me to take over the helm for you?"

"No." Magnus said. "We got this."

Ragnor just nodded and walked away to instruct the men. Magnus and Alec stared at each other as they walked to the helm.

"After this there's no turning back," Magnus warned him, before putting the ship in motion, "it will be a pirate's life for you."

"I know."

"It'll be a life of running and hiding. We may have gotten rid of the Clave thanks to your brother, but this will continue to be a life of danger and risks and-"

"And I can handle it all if I'm by your side. This time apart was like dying for me, Magnus. I can't go back to that life. I thought I could, but I can't. This is where I belong." Alec said, placing a hand on Magnus's heart. "Now, captain, are we going or what?"

Magnus smiled, feeling his heart overflowing with happiness. "Raise the anchor!" He shouted, shifting into captain's mode and instructing the men. "Trim the mainsail and set ready to sail!"

"Aye, aye, captain!" The men replied in unison.

Alec moved to help, but Magnus stopped him. "Not so fast, sailor." He said, pulling Alec toward him. "You're not going to help them, I have special orders for you."

"Is that so?" Alec challenged him.

"Aye, and for once you're going to follow them to the letter." Magnus said, intertwining his fingers with Alec's. "You're going to stay with me forever."

"Forever." Alec said, smiling that smile that outshone the most beautiful of sunsets.

Magnus put his free hand on the helm and veered the ship to the west, making the Danube to glide smoothly through the water.

"And now, Alexander...let me show you a new horizon." He said.

And together, hand in hand, they set sail, as the Blue Danube, like the sun, quickly disappeared on the horizon. The day seemed to be ending, but their story was just beginning.

* * *

 **The end.**

 **I really hope you liked the way I ended this story. I'm going to miss my pirates, but it was time to end this fic. Please let me know your thoughts about the story, I would love to hear what you liked, what you hated and whatnot.**

 **Anyway, thanks again for reading and reviewing (I read all of them, I promise), you guys made this the best experience I've ever had as a writer! I love you all, and see you next Friday with a new story!**

 **PS: You can find a rebloggable version of this story on my tumblr (link in bio). Oh, and feel free to follow me as well. I love making new friends!**


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